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%  ICtbrary  of  * 
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BV  4811  .S68  1865 
Spurgeon,  C.  H.  1834-1892. 
Morning  by  morning 


SPURGEON'S    SERMONS. 

From  the  Chicago  Standard. 

Robert  Carter  &  Brothers  issue  in  ten  volumes  a  very 
excellent  edition  of  Spurgeoii's  Sermons.  They  are  neatly 
grouped  in  a  box,  and  have  much  the  appearance  of  a 
library  in  themselves.  While  by  no  means  presenting 
the  well  known  aspect  of  "  cheap  books,"  these  sermons 
are  after  all  furnished  at  a  surprisingly  low  price, — one 
dollar  per  volume;  ten  dollars  for  the  entire  set.  No 
man  need  trouble  himself  to  either  praise  or  criticise  the 
sermons  of  C.  H.  Spurgeon.  They  have  been  read  every- 
where, and  the  thousands  and  thousands  of  such  readers 
have  their  own  opinion — and  that  a  most  favorable  one 
— as  to  their  merits.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that,  as 
sermons,  they  stand  alone;  combining  with  their  pure 
evangelical  doctrine,  a  directness,  a  simplicity,  a  trans- 
parency, and  an  effectiveness  of  style,  unoqualed  by  any 
other  published  sermons,  by  men  now  in  the  pulpit,  or 
by  those  of  other  generations.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
claim  for  them  greatness  in  the  usual  sense  of  that  word. 
They  are  unique  in  this,  that  they  are  so  perfect  as  ser- 
mons. Taken  down,  stenographically,  while  in  process 
of  delivery,  afterwards  revised  and  prepared  for  the 
press,  they  have  all  the  glow  of  the  true  preacher's  in- 
spiration Avhile  in  the  fuU  tide  of  his  message,  and  yet 
are  singularly  correct  in  style — as  much  so,  probably,  as 
if  composed  and  written  down  in  the  quiet  of  the  study. 
For,  as  a  colloquial  speaker,  addressing  the  people  in 
their  own  vernacular,  Mr.  Spurgeon  has  no  superior  in 
this  age;  and  what  he  says  in  the  pulpit  might  almost 
go  to  the  printer  without  any  of  that  carefal  revision 
which,  notwithstanding,  he  conscientiously  gives  it. 


WORKS    OF    C.    H.    SPURGEON. 


SPURGEON'S  SERMONS.    New  and  neat  edition.  lo  vols.,  i2mo.  Jiooo 
Any  volume  sold  separately  at     .......        .     i.oo 

"  These  sermons  are  thoroughly  Scriptural,  earnest  and  simple,  and  full  of 

that  intense  earnestness  which  always  marks  Mr.  Spurgeon's  preaching." — 

Presbyterian. 

MORNING  BY  MORNING.     i2mo  i  <)o 

95.000   H.'VVE   BEEN  SOLD   IN    ENGLAND. 

EVENING  BY  EVENING.     i2mo 100 

'  71,000   H.AVE   BEEN   SOLD   IN   ENGLAND. 

LECTURES  TO  STUDENTS .1.00 

THE  SAINT  AND  SAVIOUR i.oo 

TYPES  AND  EMBLEMS i.oo 

THE  PRESENT  TRUTH.     Recent  Sermons 1.00 

STORM  SIGNALS.     New  Sermons.     i2mo i.oo 

HANDS  FULL  OF  HONEY, 

And   Other  Sermons  Pre.\ched  in  1883.     i2mo        .        .        .     iToo 
RETU.K'N.  O  SHULAMITE! 

And  Other  Ser.mo.ns  Preached  in  1884.    i2mo       .       .       .    i.oo 
FIRST  HEALING  AND  THEN  SERVICE, 

And  Other  Sermons  Pre.ached  in  1885.    i2mo         ...    100 

MY  SERMON-NOTES— GKtiEsis  to   Proverbs        ....     i.oo 

"  "  "  Ecclesiastes  to  Malachi        .        .       .    1.00 

"  In  point  of  freshness,  the  work  is  such  a  contrast  to  many  books  of  the 

same  order,  that  preachers  of  every  grade  will  find  something  suggestive 

under  every  head." — Christian  IVorld. 

COMMENTING  AND  COMMENTARIES 1.00 

"  This  volume  has  few  equals,  if  any." — Literary  World. 

GEMS  FROM  SPURGEON 1.00 

FEATHERS  FOR  ARROWS i.oo 

yOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  TALK 75 

320,000  have   been   sold   in   ENGLAND 

JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES 75 

100,000   HAVE   BEEN   SOLD   IN    ENGLAND. 

JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  TALK  AND  PICTURES.     In  one  vol.     i.oo 
GLEANINGS  AMONG  THE  SHEA  VES 60 


ROBERT  CARTER  &-  BROTHERS. 

Any  of  the  above  sent  by  mail,  postage  prepaid,  on  receipt 
of  the  price. 


MORNING  BY  MORNING; 


OB, 


fniti)  §tnAxnt{^ 


THE  FA^MILY  OR  THE  CLOSET. 


^C.  H.   SPURGEON, 

AUTHOR  OF  "EVENING  BY  EVENING,"  "SERMONS,"  &o. 


He  waketh  morning  by  rr\.orning'     He  -wakenelh  nvine  ear  to 
hear  as  the  learned. 


NEW  YORK : 
ROBERT  CARTER  &  BROTHERS, 
530    BROADWAY. 


PRE  FAC  E. 


JOETS  have  delighted  to  sing  of  the  morning  as  "Mothei 
Kl/j  of  the  Dews,"  "sowing  the  earth  with  orient  pearl;" 
p^:;^  and  many  of  the  saints,  upstarting  from  their  beds  si 
the  first  blush  of  dawn,  hr.v.°  found  the  poetry  of  nature 
to  be  the  reality  of  grace  as  they  have  felt  the  dews  of  heaven 
refreshing  their  spirits.  Hence  morning  exercises  have  ever  been 
dear  to  enlightened,  heaven-loving  souls,  and  it  has  been  their 
rule,  never  to  see  the  face  of  man  till  they  have  first  seen  the 
face  of  God.  The'breath  of  morn  redolent  of  the  smell  of  flowers 
is  incense  offered  by  earth  to  her  Creator,  and  living  men  should 
never  let  the  dead  earth  excel  them ;  truly  living  men  tuning  their 
hearts  for  song,  like  the  birds,  salute  the  radiant  mercy  which 
reveals  itself  in  the  east.  The  first  fresh  hour  of  every  morning 
should  be  dedicated  to  the  Lord,  whose  mercy  gladdens  it  with 
golden  light.  The  eye  of  day  openeth  its  lids,  and  in  so  doing 
opens  the  eyes  of  hosts  of  heaven-protected  slumberers ;  it  is  fit- 
ting that  those  eyes  should  first  look  up  to  the  great  Father  of 
Lights,  the  fount  and  source  of  all  the  good  upon  which  the  sun- 
light gleams.  It  augurs  for  us  a  day  of  grace  when  we  begin 
betimes  with  God ;  the  sanctifying  influence  of  the  season  spent 
upon  the  mount  operates  upon  each  succeeding  hour.  Morning 
devotion  anchors  the  soul,  so  that  it  will  not  very  readily  drift  far 
away  from  God  during  the  day:  it  perfumes  the  heart  so  that  it 
§mells  fragrant  with  piety  until  nightfall ;  it  girds  up  the  soul's 
garments  so  that  it  is  less  apt  to  stumble,  and  feeds  all  its  powers 
•o  that  it  is  not  permitted  to  faint.    The  morning  is  the  gate  of 

(▼) 


the  day,  and  should  be  well  guarded  with  prayer.  It  is  one  end 
of  the  thread  on  which  the  daj''s  actions  are  strung,  and  should 
be  weU.  knotted  with  devotion.  If  we  felt  more  the  majesty  of 
life,  we  should  be  more  careful  of  its  mornings.  He  who  rushes 
from  his  bed  to  his  business  and  waiteth  not  to  worship,  is  as 
foolish  as  though  he  had  not  put  on  his  clothes,  or  cleansed  his 
face,  and  as  unwise  as  though  he  dashed  into  battle  without  arms 
or  armor.  Be  it  ours  to  bathe  in  the  softly-flowing  river  of  com- 
munion with  God,  before  the  heat  of  the  wilderness  and  the  bur- 
den of  the  way  begin  to  oppress  us. 

In  penning  these  short  reflections  upon  certain  passages  of  Holy 
Writ,  the  author  has  had  in  view  the  assistance  of  the  private 
meditations  of  believers.  A  child  may  sometimes  suggest  a  con- 
solation which  might  not  otherwise  have  cheered  a  desolate  heart; 
and  even  a  flower  smiling  upward  from  the  sod  may  turn  the 
thoughts  heavenward  :  may  we  not  hope  that,  by  the  Holy  Spirit's 
grace,  as  the  reader  turns,  morning  by  morning,  to  our  simple 
page,  he  will  hear  in  it  a  still  small  voice,  whose  speech  shall  be 
the  word  of  God  to  his  soul?  The  mind  wearies  of  one  thing,  and 
we  have  therefore  studied  variety,  changing  our  method  con- 
stantly; sometimes  exhorting,  then  soliloquizing,  then  convers- 
ing; using  the  first,  second,  and  third  persons,  and  speaking  both 
in  the  singular  and  the  plural  —  and  all  with  the  desire  of  avoiding 
sameness  and  dulness.  Our  matter,  also,  we  venture  to  hope,  is 
wide  in  its  range,  and  not  altogether  without  a  dash  of  freshness. 
Readers  of  our  sermons  will  recognize  many  thoughts  and  expres- 
sions which  they  may  have  met  with  in  our  discourses;  but  much 
is,  to  the  author  at  least,  new,  and,  as  far  as  anything  can  be  when 
it  treats  upon  the  common  salvation,  it  is  original.  We  have  writ- 
ten out  of  our  own  heart,  and  most  of  the  portions  are  remem- 
brances of  words  which  were  refreshing  in  our  own  experience, 
and  therefore  we  hope  the  daily  meditations  will  not  be  without 
savor  to  our  brethren ;  in  fact,  we  know  they  will  not  if  the  Spirit 
of  God  shall  rest  upon  them. 

Our  ambition  has  led  us  to  hope  that  our  little  volume  may  also 
aid  the  worship  of  families  where  God's  altar  burns  in  the  morn- 
ing. We  know  that  it  has  been  the  custom  in  some  households 
to  read  Mason,  Hawker,  Bogatsky,  Smith,  or  Jay,  and  without 
wishing  to  usurp  the  place  of  any  of  these,  our  "Morning  by 
Morning  "  aspires  to  a  position  among  them.    Our  happiness  will 


JPft£Fl.CS.  Vii 

overflow  should  we  be  made  a  blessing  to  Christian  households 
Family  worship  is,  beyond  measure,  important  both  for  the  pres- 
ent and  succeeding  generations,  and  to  be  in  part  a  chaplain  in 
the  houses  of  our  friends,  we  shall  esteem  to  be  a  very  great 
honor. 

We  have  written  no  prayers,  because  we  think  that  a  prayer  '« 
good  for  nothing  if  it  be  not  written  on  the  heart  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  made  to  gush  forth  warm  from  the  soul.  We  should 
AS  soon  think  of  printing  a  form  for  our  children  to  u«e  in  address- 
ing their  parents,  as  draw  up  a  form  to  be  offered  to  our  Father 
who  is  in  heaven.  It  has  been  said  in  defence  of  forms,  "  Better 
to  go  on  crutches  than  not  at  all ;  "  but  it  is  our  firm  conviction 
that  those  who  truly  go  in  the  sense  of  worshipping  aright,  might 
with  a  little  effort,  and  an  earnest  cry  to  the  Holy  Spirit  for  assist- 
ance, go  much  better  on  their  own  proper  legs  than  upon  the 
cripple's  wearisome  aids. 

Hymns  we  have  selected ;  but  our  fear  is  that  comparatively  few 
English  families  will  use  them;  on  the  northern  side  of  the  Tweed 
the  singing  of  the  psalm  is  far  more  general.  Would  to  God  that 
the  daily  turmoil  were  less  vehement — that  we  had  more  time  and 
heart  for  praising  the  name  of  the  Lord  I  Praise  makes  worship 
complete,  and  without  it  the  pillar  of  devotion  lacks  its  capital. 

If  there  be  not  time  to  read  both  our  morning  portion  and  the 
usual  chapter,  we  earnestly  entreat  that  our  book  may  be  dis- 
pensed with,  for  it  were  a  sore  affliction  to  us  to  know  that  any 
family  read  the  Word  of  God  less  on  our  account.  We  have  had 
it  in  our  heart  to  lead  our  friends  to  search  their  Bibles  more  than 
ever,  and  therefore  we  have  culled  passages  out  of  corners  and 
nooks  of  Scripture,  that  curiosity  might  lead  to  a  search  for  their 
context;  we  shall  be  disappointed  indeed,  if,  after  all,  we  frustrate 
our  own  design  by  diverting  one  moment  of  time  to  the  perusal 
of  our  remarks  which  ought  to  have  been  giver,  to  searching  the 
Word  of  God  itself. 

The  hope  has  also  been  cherished  that  village  and  cottage 
preachers  may  sometimes  glean  a  text  and  suggestions  for  a 
sermon  from  our  daily  page.  Certainly  they  are  very  free  to  do 
so  if  they  can ;  the  thoughts  are  not  ours,  but  are  common  prop- 
erty. Tossed  about  by  cares,  and  worried  by  business,  men'i 
minds  are  not  always  in  a  condition  on  Saturday  evenings  to  ris« 
from  earth  and  start  upon  a  line  of  meditation;  but  once  let  theii 


Viii  PKEFACB. 

thoughts  get  Aning,  they  can  fly  well,  enough,  and  the  very  event* 
of  the  week  help  their  flight;  perhaps  we  may  lift  some  heart  up- 
wards, and  if  so,  God  be  praised.  Possibly  a  hint  here  given  may 
serve  as  a  match  to  set  fire  to  a  preacher's  soul,  and  that  heart  on 
a  blaze  may  warm  and  gladden  hundreds.  Amen,  and  the  Lord 
our  God  say  so  too. 

Hoping  for  a  favorable  reception  for  our  present  attempt,  we 
have  already  commenced  a  volume  of  the  same  size  and  character 
for  evening  readittg,  which  will,  by  Divine  permission,  follow  so 
soon  as  we  can  prepare  it.  Meanwhile,  with  many  prayers  for 
Heaven's  blessing  upon  this  our  labor  of  love,  and  with  earnest 
requests  for  the  prayers  of  the  faithful,  this  work  is  humbly  ded- 
icated to  the  honor  of  the  Triune  Jehovah,  and  'espectfuUj  pre* 
tented  to  the  Christian  Church. 

Clapham,  Decembety  UflB. 


bAlLY   READlNOd. 


"  Tlieij  did  eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  land  of  Canaan  that  year." 
Joshua  V.  11. 

^^^^fRSRAEL'S  weary  wanderings  were  all  over,  and  the 
^1  *^  promised  rest  was  attained.  No  more  moving  tents, 
y/^Tf^-i  gery  serpents,  fierce  Amalekites,  and  howling  wil- 
dernesses, they  came  to  the  land  which  flowed  with  milk  and 
honey,  and  they  ate  the  old  corn  of  the  land.  Perhaps  this 
year,  beloved  Christian  reader,  this  may  be  thy  case  or  mine. 
Joyful  is  the  prospect,  and  if  faith  be  in  active  exercise,  it 
will  yield  unalloyed  delight.  To  be  with  Jesus  in  the  rest 
which  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God,  is  a  cheering  hope- 
indeed,  and  to  expect  this  glory  so  soon  is  a  double  bliss. 
Unbelief  shudders  at  the  Jordan  which  still  rolls  between  us 
and  the  goodly  land,  but  let  us  rest  assured  that  we  have 
already  experienced  more  ills  than  death  at  its  worst  can 
cause  us.  Let  us  banish  every  fearful  thought,  and  rejoice 
with  exceeding  great  joy,  in  the  prospect  that  this  year  we 
shall  begin  to  be  "  forever  with  the  Lord." 

A  part  of  the  host  will  this  year  tarry  on  earth,  to  do 
service  for  their  Lord.  If  this  should  fall  to  our  lot,  there 
is  no  reason  why  the  New  Year's  text  should  not  still  be  true. 
"  We  who  have  believed  do  enter  into  rest."  The  Holy 
Spirit  is  the  earnest  of  our  inheritance.  He  gives  us  "  glory 
begun  below."  In  heaven  they  are  secure,  and  so  are  we 
preserved  in  Christ  Jesus ;  there  they  triumph  over  their 
enemies,  and  we  have  victories  too.  Celestial  spirits  enjoy 
communion  with  their  Lord,  and  this  is  not  denied  to  us : 
they  rest  in  His  love,  and  we  have  perfect  peace  in  Him ; 
they  hymn  His  praise,  and  it  is  our  privilege  to  bless  Him 
too.  We  will  this  year  gather  celestial  fruits  on  earthly 
ground,  where  faith  and  hope  have  made  the  desert  like  the 
garden  of  the  Lord.  Man  did  eat  angels'  food  of  old,  and 
why  not  now  ?  0  for  grace  to  feed  on  Jesus,  and  o  to  eat 
of  the  fruit  of  the  land  of  Canaan  this  year. 

1 


ftAtLY  RfiAbiNGs.  eJ'an.  ^. 


"  Continue  in  prayer."  —  Colossians  iv.  2. 

^^^lyfT  is  interesting  to  remark  bow  large  a  portion  of 
^1  ?V1  Sacred  Writ  is  occupied  with  the  subject  of  prayer, 
V/^i^^  either  in  furnishing  examples,  enforcing  precepts,  or 
pronouncing  promises.  We  scarcely  open  the  Bible  before 
we  read,  "  Then  began  men  to  call  upon  the  name  of  the 
Lord ;  "  and  just  as  we  are  about  to  close  the  volume,  the 
"Amen  "  of  an  earnest  supplication  meets  our  ear.  Instances 
are  plentiful.  Here  we  find  a  wrestling  Jacob  —  there  a 
Daniel  who  prayed  three  times  a  day  —  and  a  David  who  with 
all  bis  heart  called  upon  his  God.  On  the  mountain  we 
see  Liias  ;  in  the  dungeon  Paul  and  Silas.  We  have  multi- 
tudes of  commands,  and  myriads  of  promises.  What  does 
this  tt-ach  us,  but  the  sacred  importance  and  necessity  of 
prayer :"  We  may  be  certain  that  whatever  God  has  made 
prominent  in  His  Word,  He  intended  to  be  conspicuous  in  our 
lives,  if  He  has  said  much  about  prayer,  it  is  because  He 
knows  we  have  much  need  of  it.  So  deep  are  our  necessities, 
that  until  we  are  in  heaven  we  must  not  ccdse  to  pray. 
Dost  thfu  want  nothing  ?  Then,  I  fear  thou  dost  not  know 
thy  poverty.  Hast  thou  no  mercy  to  ask  of  God?  Then, 
may  the  tjord's  mercy  show  thee  thy  misery  !  A  prayerless 
soul  is  a  Ohristless  soul.  Prayer  is  the  lispiiij^  of  the  believ- 
ing infant,  the  shout  of  the  fighting  believer,  the  requiem  of 
the  dying  saint  falling  asleep  in  Jesus.  It  is  the  breath,  the 
watchword,  the  comfort,  the  strength,  the  honor  of  a  Chris- 
tian. If  thou  be  a  child  of  God,  thou  wilt  seek  thy  Father's 
face,  and  live  in  thy  Father's  love.  Pray  that  this  year  thou 
mayest  be  holy,  humble,  zealous,  and  patient ;  have  closer 
communion  with  Christ,  and  enter  oftener  into  the  banquet- 
ing-house  of  His  love.  Pray  that  thou  mayest  be  an  example 
and  a  blessing  unto  others,  and  that  thou  mayest  live  more  to 
the  glory  of  thy  Master.  The  motto  for  this  year  must  be, 
"Continue  in  prayer." 


Jan.  3  Daily  HEArnNos.  8 

"  I  will  give  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  peopled  —  Isaiah  xlix.  8. 

^OdlSUS  Christ  is  Himself  the  sum  and  substance  of  the 
.^1  covenant,  anc'  as  one  of  its  gifts  lie  is  the  property 
^  of  every  behever.  Believer,  canst  thou  estimate 
what  thou  hast  gotten  in  Christ  ?  "  In  Ilim  dwellctb  all  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily.'"  Consider  tha-t  word  "  Goi  " 
and  its  infinity,  and  then  meditate  upon  "  perfect  man  "  and  all 
his  beauty  ;  for  all  that  Christ,  as  God  and  man,  ever  had,  or 
can  have,  is  thine  —  out  of  pure  free  favor,  passed  over  to  thee 
to  be  thine  entailed  property  forever.  Our  blessed  Jesus, 
as  God,  is  omniscient,  omnipresent,  omnipotent.  Will  it  not 
console  you  to  know  that  all  these  great  and  glorious  attributes 
are  altogether  yours  ?  Has  He  power  ?  That  power  is  yours 
to  support  and  strengthen  you,  to  overcome  your  enemies, 
and  to  preserve  you  even  to  the  end.  Has  He  love  ?  Well, 
there  is  not  a  drop  of  love  in  His  heart  which  is  not  yours 
You  may  dive  into  the  immense  ocean  of  His  love,  and  you 
may  say  of  it  all,  "  It  is  mine."  Hath  He  justice  ?  It  maj 
seem  a  stern  attribute,  but  even  that  is  j'ours ;  for  He  will, 
by  His  justice,  see  to  it,  that  all  which  is  promised  to  you  in 
the  covenant  of  grace,  shall  be  most  certainly  secured  to  you. 
And  all  that  He  has  as  perfect  man  is  yours.  As  a  perfect 
man  the  Father's  delight  was  upon  Him.  He  stood  accepted 
by  the  Most  High.  0  believer,  God's  acceptance  of  Christ 
is  thine  acceptance  ;  for  knowest  thou  not  that  the  love  which 
the  Father  set  on  a  perfect  Christ,  He  sets  on  thee  now  f  For 
all  that  Christ  did  is  thine.  That  perfect  righteousness  which 
Jesus  wrought  out,  when  through  His  stainless  life  He  kept 
the  law  and  made  it  honorable,  is  thine,  and  is  imputed  U 
thee.     Christ  is  in  the  covenant. 

"  My  God,  I  am  thine  —  what  a  comfort  divine  ! 
What  a  blessing'  to  know  that  tlic  Saviour  is  mine! 
In  the  heavenly  Lamb  thrice  happy  I  am, 
And  my  heart  it  doth  dance  at  the  sound  of  his  name." 


DAILY   BEADINOS.  Jan.  4. 


"  Oroio  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviout 
Jesus  Christ."  — 2  Peter  iii.  18. 

5^|i^>R0W  in  grace  —  not  in  one  grace  only,  but  in  all 
grace.  Grow  in  that  root-grace,  faith.  Believe  the 
promises  more  firmly  than  you  have  done.  Let  faith 
increase  in  fulness,  constancy,  simplicity.  Grow  also  in  love. 
Ask  that  your  love  may  become  extended,  more  intense,  more 
practical,  influencing  every  thought,  word,  and  deed.  Grow 
likewise  in  humility.  Seek  to  lie  very  low,  and  know  more 
of  your  own  nothingness.  As  you  grow  downward  in  humil- 
ity, seek  also  to  grow  upioard  —  having  nearer  approaches  to 
God  in  prayer  and  more  intimate  fellowship  with  Jesus.  May 
God  the  Holy  Spirit  enable  you  to  "  grow  in  the  knotvledge  of 
our  Lord  and  Saviour."  He  who  grows  not  in  the  knowledge 
of  Jesus,  refuses  to  be  blessed.  To  know  Him  is  "  life 
eternal,"  and  to  advance  in  the  knowledge  of  Him  is  to 
increase  in  happiness.  He  who  does  not  long  to  know  more 
of  Christ,  knows  nothing  of  Him  yet.  Whoever  hath  sipped 
this  wine  will  thirst  for  more,  for  although  Christ  doth  satisfy, 
yet  it  is  such  a  satisfaction,  that  the  appetite  is  not  cloyed, 
but  whetted.  If  you  know  the  love  of  Jesus  —  as  the  hart 
panteth  for  the  water-brooks,  so  will  you  pant  after  deeper 
draughts  of  His  love.  If  you  do  not  desire  to  know  Him 
better,  then  you  love  Him  not,  for  love  always  cries,  "  Nearer, 
nearer."  Absence  from  Christ  is  hell ;  but  the  presence  of 
Jesus  is  heaven.  Rest  not  then  content  without  an  increas- 
ing acquaintance  with  Jesus.  Seek  to  know  more  of  Him  in 
His  divine  nature,  in  His  human  relationship,  in  His  finished 
work,  in  His  death,  in  His  resurrection,  in  His  present  glorious 
intercession,  and  in  His  future  royal  advent.  Abide  hard  by 
the  Cross,  and  search  the  mystery  of  His  wounds.  An  in- 
crease of  love  to  Jesus,  and  a  more  perfect  apprehension  of 
Di?  love  to  us,  is  one  of  the  best  tests  of  growth  in  grace. 


Jan.    5.  DAll.Y    RKADIXG8. 


"And  Gnd  saw  the  light,  that  it  teas  good:   and  God  divided  th« 
light  ^f ram  the  darhiess."  —  Genesis  i.  4. 

■^KC^IGrllT  might  well  be  good,  since  it  sprang  from  that 
^I'^l  fiat  of  goodness,  "Let  there  be  light."  We  who 
'"^  enjoy  it,  should  be  more  grateful  for  it  than  we  are. 

and  see  more  of  God  in  it  and  by  it.  Light  pJujaical  is  said 
by  Solomon  to  be  sweet,  but  gospel  light  is  infinitely  more 
precious,  for  it  reveals  eternal  things,  and  ministers  to  our 
immortal  natures.  When  the  Holy  Spirit  gives  us  spiritual 
light,  and  opens  our  eyes  to  behold  the  glory  of  God  in  the 
face  of  Jesus  Christ,  we  behold  sin  in  its  true  colors,  and 
ourselves  in  our  real  position  ;  we  see  the  Most  Holy  God 
as  He  reveals  Himself,  the  plan  of  mercy  as  He  propounds 
it,  and  the  world  to  co'ine  as  the  Word  describes  it.  Spiritual 
light  has  many  beams  and  prismatic  colors,  but  whether  they 
be  knowledge,  joy,  holiness,  or  life,  all  are  divinely  good.  If 
the  light  received  be  thus  good,  what  must  the  essential  light 
be,  and  how  glorious  must  be  the  place  where  He  reveals 
Himself!  0  Lord,  since  light  is  so  good,  give  us  more  of 
it,  and  more  of  Thyself,  the  true  light. 

No  sooner  is  there  a  good  thing  in  the  world,  than  a  division 
is  necessary.  Light  and  darkness  have  no  communion  ;  God 
has  divided  them,  let  us  not  confound  them.  Sons  of  light 
nust  not  have  fellowship  with  deeds,  doctrines,  or  deceits  of 
darkness.  The  children  of  the  day  must  be  sober,  honest, 
and  bold  in  their  Lord's  work,  leaving  the  works  of  darkness 
to  those  who  shall  dwell  in  it  forever.  Our  churches  should 
by  discipline  divide  the  light  from  the  darkness,  and  we  should 
by  our  distinct  separation  from  the  world  do  the  same.  In 
judgment,  in  action,  in  hearing,  in  teaching,  in  association, 
we  must  discern  between  the  precious  and  the  vile,  and 
maintain  the  great  distinction  which  the  Lord  made  upon  the 
world's  first  day.  0  Lord  Jesus,  be  Thou  our  light  through- 
out the  whole  of  this  day,  for  Thy  light  is  the  light  of  men. 


DAiLV  liEAbtNGS.  Jan.  6. 


Casting  all  your  care  upon  Jlim ;  for  He  careth  for  you." 
1  Peter  v.  7. 

^T  is  a  happy  way  of  soothing  sorrow  when  we  can  feel 


ic)^  —  "  HE  careth  for  me."  Christian  !  do  not  dishonor 
your  religion  by  always  wearing  a  brow  of  care ; 
come,  cast  your  burden  upon  your  Lord.  You  are  staggering 
beneath  a  weight  which  your  Father  would  not  feel.  What 
seems  to  you  a  crushing  burden,  would  be  to  Him  but  as  the 
email  dust  of  the  balance.     Nothing  is  so  sweet  as  to 

"  Lie  passive  in  God's  hands, 
And  know  no  will  but  His." 

0  child  of  suffering,  be  thou  patient ;  God  has  not  passed 
thee  over  in  His  providence.  Ho  who  is  the  feeder  of 
sparrows,  will  also  furnish  you  with  what  you  need.  Sit  not 
down  in  despair  ;  hope  on,  hope  ever.  Take  up  the  arms  of 
faith  against  a  sea  of  trouble,  and  your  opposition  shall  yet 
end  your  distresses.  There  is  One  who  careth  for  you.  His 
eye  is  fixed  on  you,  His  heart  beats  with  pity  for  your  woe, 
and  His  hand  omnipotent  shall  yet  bring  you  the  needed 
help.  The  darkest  cloud  shall  scatter  itself  in  showers  of 
mercy.  The  blackest  gloom  shall  give  place  to  the  morning. 
Ho,  if  thou  art  one  of  His  family,  will  bind  up  thy  wounds, 
and  heal  thy  broken  heart.  Doubt  not  His  grace  because  of 
thy  tribulation,  but  believe  that  He  loveth  thee  as  much  iu 
seasons  of  trouble  as  in  times  of  happiness.  What  a  serene 
and  quiet  life  might  you  lead  if  you  would  leave  providing 
to  the  God  of  Providence  !  With  a  little  oil  in  the  cruse,  and 
a  handful  of  meal  in  the  barrel,  Elijah  outlived  the  famine, 
and  you  will  do  the  same.  If  God  cares  for  you,  why  need 
you  care  too  ?  Can  you  trust  Him  for  your  soul,  and  not  for 
your  body  ?  He  has  never  refused  to  bear  your  burdens,  Ho 
has  never  fainted  under  their  weight.  Come,  then,  soul ! 
have  done  with  fretful  care,  and  leave  all  thy  concerns  in  th« 
hand  of  a  gracious  God. 


Jan.  t.  bAli.Y  ukadings. 


*' For  me  to   Hve  is  Christ."  —  Philippians  i.  21. 


■T/IIE  believer  dia  not  always  live  to  Christ ;  he  began 
^^  to  do  so  wlieu  G.">d  the  Holy  Spirit  couvinced  him  of 
sin,  and  when  by  grace  he  was  brought  to  see  the 
dying  Saviour  making  a  proj^ntiation  for  his  guilt.  From  the 
moment  of  the  new  and  celestial  birth  the  man  begins  to  live 
to  Christ.  Jesus  is  to  believerr  the  one  pearl  of  great  price, 
for  whom  we  are  willing  to  part  »7ith  all  that  we  have.  He 
has  so  completely  won  our  lovf.  that  it  beats  alone  for 
Him ;  to  His  glory  we  would  live,  and  in  defence  of  His 
gospel  we  would  die ;  He  is  the  palitrn  of  our  life,  and  the 
model  after  which  we  would  sculpture  our  character.  Paul's 
words  mean  more  than  most  men  tliiu\  ;  they  imply  that  the 
aim  and  end  of  his  life  tvas  Christ  —  nay,  his  life  itself  waa 
Jesus.  In  the  words  of  an  ancient  saint,  he  did  eat,  and 
drink,  and  sleep  eternal  life.  Jesus  was  his  very  breath,  the 
soul  of  his  soul,  the  heart  of  his  heart,  the  life  of  his  life. 
Can  you  say,  as  a  professing  Christian,  that  you  live  up  to  this 
idea  ?  Can  you  honestly  say  that  for  you  to  live  is  Christ  ? 
Your  business  —  are  you  doing  it/or  Christ  ?  Is  it  not  done 
for  self-aggrandizement  and  for  family  advantage  ?  Do  you 
ask,  "  Is  that  a  mean  reason  ?  "  For  the  Christian  it  is.  He 
professfcs  to  live  for  Christ ;  how  can  he  live  for  another  object 
without  committing  a  spiritual  adultery  ?  Many  there  are 
who  carry  out  this  principle  in  some  measure  ;  but  who  is 
there  that  dare  say  that  he  hath  lived  wholly  for  Christ  as  the 
apostle  did  ?  Yet,  this  alone  is  the  true  life  of  a  Christian 
—  its  source,  its  sustenance,  its  fashion,  its  end,  all  gathered 
up  in  one  word  —  Christ  Jesus.  Lord,  accept  me  ;  I  here 
present  myself,  praying  to  live  only  in  Thee  and  to  Thee. 
Let  me  be  as  the  bullock  which  stands  between  the  plough 
and  the  altar,  to  work  or  to  be  sacrificed;  and  let  my  mottu 
be,  "  Ready  for  either." 


DAILY  HEADINGS.  Jan.  6. 


The  iniquity  of  the  holy  things." — Exodus  xxviii.  38. 

[?^HAT  a  veil  is  lifted  up  by  these  words,  and  what  a 
disclosure  is  made  !  It  will  be  humbling  and  profitable 
for  us  to  pause  awhile  and  see  this  sad  sight.  The 
iniquities  of  our  public  worship,  its  hypocrisy,  formality, 
lukewarmness,  irreverence,  wandering  of  heart  and  forget- 
fulness  of  God,  what  a  full  measure  have  we  there  !  Our 
work  for  the  Lord,  its  emulation,  selfishness,  carelessness, 
slackness,  unbelief,  what  a  mass  of  defilement  is  there  !  Our 
private  devotions,  their  laxity,  coldness,  neglect,  sleepiness, 
and  vanity,  what  a  mountain  of  dead  earth  is  there  !  If  we 
looked  more  carefully  we  should  find  this  iniquity  to  be  far 
greater  than  appears  at  first  sight.  Dr.  Payson,  writing  to 
his  brother,  says,  "  My  parish,  as  well  as  my  heart,  very 
much  resembles  the  garden  of  the  sluggard ;  and  what  ia 
worse,  I  find  that  very  many  of  my  desires  for  the  melioration 
of  both,  proceed  either  from  pride,  or  vanity,  or  indolence. 
1  look  at  the  weeds  which  overspread  my  garden,  and  breathe 
out  an  earnest  wish  that  they  were  eradicated.  But  why  ? 
What  prompts  the  wish  ?  It  may  be  that  I  may  walk  out  and 
say  to  myself,  '  In  what  fine  order  is  my  garden  kept  I '  This 
is  pride.  Or  it  may  be  that  my  neighbors  may  look  over 
the  wall  and  say,  '  How  finely  your  garden  flourishes  ! '  This 
is  vanity.  Or  I  may  wish  for  the  destruction  of  the  weeds, 
because  I  am  weary  of  pulling  them  up.  This  is  indolence." 
So  that  even  our  desires  after  holiness  may  be  polluted  by 
ill  motives.  Under  the  greenest  sods  worms  hide  themselves  ; 
we  need  not  look  long  to  discover  them.  How  cheering  ia 
the  thought,  that,  when  the  High  Priest  bore  the  iniquity  of 
the  holy  things,  he  wore  upon  his  brow  the  words,  Holiness 
TO  THE  LoKD ;  and  even  so  while  Jesus  bears  our  sin.  He 
presents  before  His  Father's  face  not  our  uuholiness,  but  His 
own  holiness.  0  for  grace  to  view  our  great  High  Priest  by 
the  eye  of  faith  ! 


Jan.  9  DAltY    READINGS. 


" I  will  be  iheir  God"  —  Jeremiali  xxxi   33. 

^^^/^HRISTIAN  !  hove  is  all  thou  canst  require.  To  make 
Ht  .i,)|  tlicc  happy  thou  wantcst  sonu'thiug  tliat  shall  satii/y 
^  thee  ;  and  is  not  this  enough  ?  If  thou  canst  pour 
this  promise  into  thy  cup,  wilt  thou  not  say,  with  David, 
"  My  cup  runneth  over  ;  I  have  more  than  heart  can  wish  "  ? 
When  tliis  is  fulfilled,  '■'•  lamthy  God,"  art  thou  not  possessor 
of  all  things  ?  Desire  is  insatiable  as  death,  but  He  who  fill- 
eth  all  in  all  can  fill  it.  The  capacity  of  our  wishes  who  can 
measure  ?  but  the  immeasurable  wealth  of  God  can  more  than 
overflow  it.  I  ask  thee  if  thou  art  not  complete  when  God 
is  thine  ?  Dost  thou  want  anything  but  God  ?  Is  not  His 
all-sufl5ciency  enough  to  satisfy  thee  if  all  else  should  fail  ? 
But  thou  wantcst  more  than  quiet  satisfaction  ;  thou  desirest 
rapturous  delight.  Come,  soul,  here  is  music  fit  for  Heaven 
in  this  thy  portion,  for  God  is  the  Maker  of  Heaven.  Not 
all  the  music  blown  from  sweet  instruments,  or  drawn  from 
living  strings,  can  yield  such  melody  as  this  sweet  promise, 
"  I  will  be  their  God."  Here  is  a  deep  sea  of  bliss,  a  shore- 
less ocean  of  delight ;  come,  bathe  thy  spirit  in  it ;  swim  an 
age,  and  thou  shalt  find  no  shore  ;  dive  throughout  eter- 
nity, and  thou  shalt  find  no  bottom.  "  1  will  he  their  God." 
If  this  do  not  make  thine  eyes  sparkle,  and  thy  heart  beat 
high  with  bliss,  then  assuredly  thy  soul  is  not  in  a  healthy 
fitati.  But  thou  wantest  more  than  present  delights  —  thou 
cravest  something  concerning  which  thou  mayei^t  ^icrcise 
hope;  and  what  more  canst  thou  hop'e  for  than  the  fulfilment 
of  this  great  promise,  "  I  will  be  their  God  "  ?  This  is  the 
masterpiece  of  all  the  promises  ;  its  enjoyment  makes  a  heav- 
en below,  and  will  make  a  heaven  above.  Dwell  in  the  light 
of  thy  Lord,  and  let  thy  soul  be  always  ravished  with  His  love. 
Get  out  the  marrow  and  fatness  which  this  portion  yields  thee. 
lave  up  to  thy  privileges,  and  rejoice  with  unspeakable  joj. 


10  DAILY   REAtHNGS.  Jan.   10. 

"  There  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crovm  of  righteoiisneas." 
2  Timothy  iv.  8. 

l§8g^0UBTING  one  !  thou  hast  often  said,  ^'  I  fear  I  shall 
^ff  never  enter  heaven,"  Fear  not !  all  the  people  of 
"^  God  shall  enter  there.  I  love  the  quaint  saying  of  a 
dying  man,  who  exclaimed,  "  I  have  no  fear  of  going  home  ; 
I  have  sent  all  before ;  God's  finger  is  on  the  latch  of  my 
door,  and  I  am  ready  for  Ilim  to  enter."  "  But,"  said  one, 
"  are  you  not  afraid  lest  you  should  miss  your  inheritance  ? " 
"  Nay,"  said  he,  "  nay  ;  there  is  one  crown  in  heaven  which 
the  angel  Gabriel  could  not  wear ;  it  will  fit  no  head  but 
mine.  There  is  one  throne  in  heaven  which  Paul  the  apostle 
could  not  fill ;  it  was  made  for  me,  and  I  shall  have  it."  0 
Christian,  what  a  joyous  thought !  thy  portion  is  secure ; 
"  there  remaineth  a  rest."  "  But  cannot  I  forfeit  it  ? "  No  ; 
it  is  entailed.  If  I  be  a  child  of  God  I  shall  not  lose  it.  It 
is  mine  as  securely  as  if  I  were  there.  Come  with  me,  be- 
liever, and  let  us  sit  upon  the  top  of  Nebo,  and  view  the 
goodly  land,  even  Canaan.  Seest  thou  that  little  river  of 
death  glistening  in  the  sunlight,  and  across  it  dost  thou  see 
the  pinnacles  of  the  eternal  city  ?  Dost  thou  mark  the  pleas- 
ant country  and  all  its  joyous  inhabitants  ?  Know  then  that 
if  thou  couldst  fly  across  thou  wouldst  see  written  upon  one 
of  its  many  mansions,  "  This  remaineth  for  such  a  one  ;  pre- 
served for  him  only.  He  shall  be  caught  up  to  dwell  forever 
with  God."  Poor  doubting  one,  see  the  fair  inheritance;  it 
ifi  thine.  If  thou  believest  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  if  thou  hast 
repented  of  sin,  if  thou  hast  been  renewed  in  heart,  thou  art 
one  of  the  Lord's  people,  and  there  is  a  place  reserved  for 
thee,  a  crown  laid  up  for  thee,  a  harp  specially  provided  foi 
thee.  No  one  else  shall  have  thy  portion;  it  is  reserved  in 
heaven  for  thee,  and  thou  shalt  have  it  ere  long,  for  there 
Bhall  be  no  vacant  thrones  in  glory  when  all  the  chosen  are 
gathered  in. 


Jan.  11  Daily  headinqb.  11 

"  Tliese  have  no  root."  —  Luke  viii.  13. 

^]^|^P)Y  soul,  examine  thyself  this  morning  by  the  light  of 
Q^lfK  this  text.  Thou  hast  received  the  word  with  joy; 
^^^*^  thy  feelings  have  been  stirred,  and  a  lively  impres- 
sion ha*  been  made  ;  but,  remember,  that  to  receive  the 
word  in  the  ear  is  one  thing,  and  to  receive  Jesus  into  thy 
very  soul  is  quite  another;  superficial  feeling  is  often  joined 
to  inward  hardness  of  heart,  and  a  lively  impression  of  the 
word  is  not  always  a  lasting  one.  In  the  parable,  the  seed 
in  one  ease  fell  upon  ground  having  a  rocky  bottom,  covered 
over  with  a  thin  layer  of  earth  ;  when  the  seed  began  to  take 
root,  its  downward  growth  was  hindered  by  the  hard  stone, 
and  therefore  it  spent  its  strength  in  pushing  its  green  shoot 
aloft  as  high  as  it  could,  but  having  no  inward  moisture  de- 
rived from  root  nourishment,  it  withered  away.  Is  this  my 
case  ?  Have  I  been  making  a  fair  show  in  the  flesh  without 
having  a  corresponding  inner  life  ?  Good  growth  takes  place 
upwards  and  downwards  at  the  same  time.  Am  I  rooted  in 
sincere  fidelity  and  love  to  Jesus  ?  If  my  heart  remains 
unsoftened  and  unfertilized  by  grace,  the  good  seed  may 
germinate  for  a  season,  but  it  must  ultimately  wither,  for  it 
cannot  flourish  on  a  rocky,  unbroken,  imsanctified  heart. 
Let  me  dread  a  godliness  as  rapid  in  growth  and  as  wanting 
in  endurance  as  Jonah's  gourd  ;  let  me  count  the  cost  of 
being  a  follower  of  Jesus ;  above  all  let  me  feel  the  energy 
of  His  Holy  Spirit,  and  then  I  shall  possess  an  abiding  and 
enduring  seed  in  my  soul.  If  my  mind  remains  as  obdurate 
as  it  was  by  nature,  the  sun  of  trial  will  scorch,  and  my  hard 
heart  will  help  to  cast  the  heat  the  more  terribly  uj-cu  the 
ill-covered  seed,  and  my  religion  will  soon  die,  and  iuy  de- 
spair will  be  terrible  ;  therefore,  0  heavenly  Sower,  plough 
me  first,  and  then  cast  the  truth  into  me,  and  let  n.*  yield 
Thee  a  bounteous  harvest. 


12  Daily  headings.  Jan.  12. 


"Ye  are  Christ's"  —  1  Corinthians  iii.  23. 

'JE  are  Christ's.  You  are  His  by  donation,  for  the 
c^  Father  gave  you  to  the  Son  ;  His  by  His  bloody 
y^  purchase,  for  He  counted  down  the  price  for  your 
redemption  ;  His  by  dedication,  for  you  have  coa- 
<iecrated  yourself  to  Him  ;  His  by  relation,  for  you  are  named 
by  lEs  name,  and  made  one  of  His  brethren  and  joint-heirs. 
Labor  practically  to  show  the  world  that  you  are  the  servant, 
the  friend,  the  bride  of  Jesus.  When  tempted  to  sin,  reply, 
"  I  cannot  do  this  great  wickedness,  for  I  am  Christ's."  Im- 
mortal principles  forbid  the  friend  of  Christ  to  sin.  When 
wealth  is  before  you  to  be  won  by  sin,  say  that  you  are 
Christ's,  and  touch  it  not.  Are  you  exposed  to  difficulties 
and  dangers  ?  Stand  fast  in  the  evil  day,  remembering  that 
you  are  Christ's.  Are  you  placed  where  others  are  sitting 
down  idly,  doing  nothing  ?  Rise  to  the  work  with  all  your 
powers  ;  tsnd  when  the  sweat  stands  upon  your  brow,  and 
you  are  tempted  to  loiter,  cry,  "  No,  I  cannot  stop,  for  I, am 
Christ's.  If  I  were  not  purchased  by  blood,  I  might  be  like 
Issachar,  couching  between  two  burdens  ;  but  I  am  Christ's, 
and  cannot  loiter."  When  the  siren  song  of  pleasure  would 
tempt  you  from  the  path  of  right,  reply,  "  Thy  music  cannot 
charm  me  ;  I  am  Christ's."  When  the  cause  of  God  invites 
thee,  give  thyself  to  it ;  when  the  poor  require  theo,  give 
thy  goods  and  thyself  away,  for  thou  art  Christ's.  Never 
belie  thy  profession.  Be  thou  ever  one  of  those  whoso 
manners  are  Christian,  whose  speech  is  like  the  Nazarene, 
whose  conduct  and  conversation  are  so  redolent  of  heaven, 
that  all  who  see  you  may  know  that  you  are  the  Saviour's, 
recognizing  in  you  His  features  of  love  and  His  countenau-u 
of  holiness.  "  I  am  a  Roman ! "  was  of  old  a  reason  fo> 
integrity  ;  far  more,  then,  let  it  be  your  argument  fcr  holi- 
ness. "  I  am  Christ's." 


Jan.    13.  DAILV    RKADINGS.  IS 

"  Jehoshaphat  made  ships  of  TJiarshish  to  go  to  Ophir  for  gold 

but  they  went  not ;  for  the  ships  were  broken  at  Ezion-geher." 

1  Kings  xxii.  48. 


"^^OLOMON'S   ships  had  returned  in  safety,  tut   Je. 

Providence  prospers  one,  and  frustrates  the  desireg 
of  another,  in  the  same  business  and  at  the  same  spot,  yet 
the  Great  Ruler  is  as  good  and  wise  at  one  time  as  another. 
May  we  have  grace  to-day,  in  the  remembrance  of  this  text, 
to  bless  the  Lord  for  ships  broken  at  Ezion-geber,  as  well  as 
for  vessels  freighted  with  temporal  blessings  ;  let  us  not  envy 
the  more  successful,  nor  murmur  at  our  losses  as  though  we 
were  singularly  and  specially  tried.  Like  Jehoshaphat,  we 
may  be  precious  in  the  Lord's  sight,  although  our  schemes 
end  in  disappointment.  The  secret  cause  of  Jehoshaphat'g 
loss  is  well  worthy  of  notice,  for  it  is  the  root  of  very  much  of 
the  suffering  of  the  Lord's  people  ;  it  was  his  alliance  with  a 
sinful  family,  his  fellowship  with  sinners.  In  2  Chron.  xx.  37, 
we  are  told  that  the  Lord  sent  a  prophet  to  declare,  "  Be- 
cause thou  hast  joined  thyself  with  Ahaziah,  the  Lord  hath 
broken  thy  works,"  This  was  a  fathei-ly  chastisement,  which 
appears  to  have  been  blessed  to  him  ;  Tor  in  the  verse  which 
succeeds  our  morning's  text  we  find  him  refusing  to  allow  his 
servants  to  sail  in  the  same  vessels  with  those  of  the  wicked 
king.  Would  to  God  that  Jchoshaphat's  experience  might 
be  a  warning  to  the  rest  of  the  Lord's  people,  to  avoid  being 
unequally  yoked  together  with  unbelievers  !  A  life  of  mis- 
ery is  usually  the  lot  of  those  who  are  united  in  marriage, 
or  in  any  other  way  of  their  own  choosing,  with  the  men  of 
the  world.  0  for  such  love  to  Jesus  that,  like  Him,  we 
may  be  holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  and  separate  from  sinners ; 
for  if  it  be  not  so  with  us,  we  may  expect  to  hear  it  often 
eaid,  "  The  Lord  hath  brokeu  thy  works." 
2 


14  DAILY    READINGS.  Jan     14 

"  Miyhty  to  save."  —  Isaiah  Ixiii.  1. 

<^Y  the  words  "to  save"  we  understand  the  whole  of 
Si  the  great  work  of  salvation,  from  the  first  holy  desire 
onward  to  complete  sanctification.  The  words  are 
miiltum  in  parvo  ;  indeed,  here  is  all  mercy  in  one  word. 
Christ  is  not  only  "  mighty  to  save  "  those  who  repent,  but 
He  is  able  to  make  men  repent.  He  will  carry  those  to 
heaven  who  believe;  but  He  is,  moreover,  mighty  to  give 
men  new  hearts,  and  to  work  faith  in  them.  He  is  mighty 
to  make  the  man  who  hates  holiness  love  it,  and  to  constrain 
the  despiser  of  His  name  to  bend  the  knee  before  Him. 
Nay,  this  is  not  all  the  meaning,  for  the  divine  power  is 
equally  seen  in  the  after-work.  The  life  of  a  believer  is  a 
series  of  miracles  wrought  by  "  the  Mighty  God."  The  bush 
burns,  but  is  not  consumed.  He  is  mighty  to  keep  His 
people  holy  after  He  has  made  them  so,  and  to  preserve 
them  in  His  fear  and  love  until  He  consummates  their  spir- 
itual existence  in  heaven.  Christ's  might  doth  not  lie  in 
making  a  believer  and  then  leaving  him  to  shift  for  himself, 
but  He  who  begins  the  good  work  carries  it  on  ;  He  who 
imparts  the  first  gemi  of  life  in  the  dead  soul,  prolongs  the 
divine  existence,  and  strengthens  it  until  it  bursts  asunder 
every  bond  of  sin,  and  the  soul  leaps  from  earth,  perfected 
in  glory.  Believer,  here  is  encouragement.  Art  thou  pray- 
ing for  some  beloved  one  ?  0  give  not  up  thy  prayers,  for 
Christ  is  "  mighty  to  save."  You  are  powerless  to  reclaim 
the  rebel,  but  your  Lord  is  Almighty.  Lay  hold  on  that 
mighty  arm,  and  rouse  it  to  put  forth  its  strength.  Does 
your  own  case  trouble  you  ?  Fear  not,  for  His  strength  is 
Bufficient  for  you.  Whether  to  begin  with  otbeis,  or  to  carry 
on  the  work  in  you,  Jesus  is  "mighty  to  save;"  the  best 
proof  of  which  lies  in  the  fact  that  He  has  saved  you,. 
What  a  thousand  mercies  that  you  have  not  found  Him 
mighty  to  destroy ! 


Jan.    15.  DAILY    REJ»  DINGS.  15 


"Do  as  Thou  hast  said."  —  2  Samuel  vii.  25. 

■<jOD'S  promises  were  never  meant  to  bo  thrown  aside 
^j  as  waste  paper ;  He  intended  that  they  should  be 
—^  used.  God's  gold  is  not  miser's  money,  but  is  minted 
to  be  traded  with.  Nothing  pleases  our  Lord  better  than  to 
sec  his  promises  put  in  circulation ;  lie  loves  to  see  His 
children  bring  them  up  to  Him,  and  say,  "  Lord,  do  as  Thou 
hast  said."  Wc  glorify  God  when  we  plead  His  promises. 
Do  you  think  that  God  will  be  any  the  poorer  for  giving  you 
the  riches  He  has  promised  ?  Do  you  dream  that  He  will  be 
any  the  less  holy  for  giving  holiness  to  you  ?  Do  you  imagine 
He  will  be  any  the  less  pure  for  washing  you  from  your  sins  ? 
He  has  said,  "  Come,  now,  and  let  us  reason  together,  saitb 
the  Lord  :  though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as 
white  as  snow;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall 
be  as  wool."  Faith  lays  hold  upon  the  promise  of  pardon, 
and  it  does  not  delay,  saying,  "  This  is  a  precious  promise ; 
I  wonder  if  it  be  true  ?  "  but  it  goes  straight  to  the  throne 
with  it,  and  pleads,  "  Lord,  here  is  the  promise.  '  Do  as  Thou 
hast  said.'  "  Our  Lord  replies,  "  Be  it  unto  thee  even  as 
thou  wilt."  When  a  Christian  grasps  a  promise,  if  he  do 
not  take  it  to  God,  he  dishonors  him  ;  but  when  he  hastens 
to  the  throne  of  grace,  and  cries,  "  Lord,  I  have  nothing  to 
recommend  me  but  this,  '  Thou  hast  said  it,'  "  then  hia 
desire  shall  be  granted.  Our  heavenly  Banker  delights  to 
cash  Ilis  own  notes.  Never  let  the  promise  rust.  Draw  the 
word  of  promise  out  of  its  scabbard,  and  use  it  with  holj 
violence.  Think  not  that  God  will  be  troubled  by  your  im- 
portunately  reminding  Him  of  His  promises.  He  loves  to 
hear  the  loud  outcries  of  needy  souls.  Tt  is  His  delight  to 
bestow  favors.  He  is  more  ready  to  hear  than  you  are  to 
•ask.  The  sun  is  not  weary  of  shining,  nor  the  fountain  of 
flowing.  It  is  God's  nature  to  keep  His  promiies  ;  therefor* 
go  at  once  to  the  throne  with  "  Do  as  Thou  hast  said." 


16  DAILY    R£ADINGS  Jan     16. 

"/  will  help  tliee,  saith  the  Lord."  —  Isaiah  xli.  14. 

^SHIS  morning  let  us  hear  the  Lord  Jesus  speak  to  each 
one  of  us:  "I  will  /  Ip  thee."  "It  is  but  a  small 
thing  for  Me,  thy  God,  to  help  thee.  Consider  what 
I  have  done  already.  What !  not  help  thee  ?  Why,  I  bought 
thee  with  My  blood.  What !  not  help  thee  ?  I  have  died  for 
thee  ;  and  if  I  have  done  the  greater,  will  I  not  do  the  less  ? 
Hell  thee  !  It  is  the  least  thing  I  will  ever  do  for  thee ;  1 
have  done  more,  and  will  do  more.  Before  the  world  began 
I  chose  thee.  I  made  the  covenant  for  thee.  I  laid  aside 
My  glory  and  became  a  man  for  thee  ;  I  gave  My  life  for  thee  ; 
and  if  I  did  all  this,  I  will  surely  help  thee  now.  In  helping 
thee,  I  am  giving  thee  what  I  have  bought  for  thee  already. 
If  thou  hadst  need  of  a  thousand  times  as  much  help,  I  would 
give  it  thee  ;  thou  requirest  little  compared  with  what  I  am 
ready  to  give.  'Tis  much  for  thee  to  need,  but  it  is  nothing 
for  Me  to  bestow.  ^Help  thee  ? '  Fear  not !  If  there  were 
an  ant  at  the  door  of  thy  granary  asking  for  help,  it  would 
not  ruin  thee  to  give  him  a  handful  of  thy  wheat ;  and  thou 
art  nothing  but  a  tiny  insect  at  the  door  of  My  all-suflBciency. 
'  I  will  help  thee.'  " 

0  my  -soul,  is  not  this  enough  ?  Dost  thou  need  nore 
strength  than  the  omnipotence  of  the  United  Trinity  ?  Dost 
thou  want  more  wisdom  than  exists  in  the  Father,  more  love 
than  displays  itself  in  the  Son,  or  more  power  than  is  manifest 
in  the  influeuces  of  the  Spirit  ^  Bring  hither  thine  empty 
pitcher !  Surely  this  well  will  fill  it.  Haste,  gather  up  thy 
wants,  and  bring  them  here  —  thine  emptiness,  thy  woed,  thj 
needs.  Behold,  this  river  of  God  is  full  for  thy  supply  ;  what 
canst  thou  desire  beside  ?  Go  forth,  my  soul,  in  this  thj 
nuight.     The  Eternal  God  is  thine  helper  ! 

"  Fear  not,  I  am  with  thee  ;   O  be  not  dismayed  I 
I,  I  &m  thy  God,  and  will  still  give  thee  aid." 


Jan.    17.  DAILY    KEAD1N08.  It 

"  And  I  lookei,  and,  lo,  a  Lamb  stood  on  the  Mount  Zion" 
Revelation  xiv.   1. 


'JHE  apostle  John  wa-  jj^ivileged  to  look  within  the 
\i;  gates  of  heaven,  and  in  describing  what  he  ?aw,  he 
begins  by  saying,  "  I  looked,  and  lo,  a  lamb  !  "  This 
leaches  us  that  the  chief  object  of  contemplation  in  the 
heavenly  state  is  "  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  awaj  tho 
sins  of  the  world."  Nothing  else  attracted  the  apostle's  at- 
tention so  much  as  the  pcr.^on  of  that  Divine  IJeing,  who  hath 
redeemed  us  by  His  blood.  He  is  the  theme  of  the  songs 
of  all  glorified  spirits  and  holy  angels.  Christian,  here  is  joy 
for  thee  ;  thou  hast  looked,  and  thou  hast  seen  the  Lamb, 
Through  thy  tears  thine  eyes  have  seen  the  Lamb  of  God 
taking  away  thy  sins.  Rejoice,  then.  In  a  little  while,  when 
thine  eyes  shall  have  been  wiped  from  tears,  thou  wilt  see 
the  same  Lamb  exalted  on  His  throne.  It  is  the  joy  of  thy 
heart  to  hold  daily  fellowship  with  Jesus  ;  thou  shalt  have  the 
same  joy  to  a  higher  degree  in  heaven  ;  thou  shalt  enjoy  the 
constant  vision  of  His  presence ;  thou  shalt  dwell  with  Him 
forever.  "  I  looked,  and,  lo,  a  Lamb  !  "  Why,  that  Lamb  is 
heaven  itself;  for  as  good  Rutherford  says,  "Heaven  and 
Christ  are  the  same  thing;"  to  be  with  Christ  is  to  be  in  heav- 
en, and  to  be  in  heaven  is  to  be  with  Christ.  That  prisoner  of 
the  Lord  very  sweetly  writes  in  one  of  his  glowing  letters  — 
"  0  my  Lord  Christ,  if  I  could  be  in  heaven  without  thee  it 
would  be  a  hell ;  and  if  I  could  be  in  hell,  and  have  thee  still,  it 
would  be  a  heaven  to  me,  for  thou  art  all  the  heaven  I  want." 
It  is  true,  is  it  not,  Christian  ?     Does  not  thy  soul  say  so  ? 

•'  Not  all  the  harps  above 

Can  make  a  heavenly  place, 
If  God  liis  rrsidcnce  remove, 
Or  but  conceal  His  face." 

All  thou  needest  to  make  *.hce  blesped,  supremely  bleesti, 
ii,  "  to  be  with  Christ." 

a* 


i6  DAILY   KEADING8.  Jail.  18. 

"  There  remaineth  therefore  a  rest  to  the  people  of  God." 
Hebrews  iv.  9. 

>0W  different  will  be  the  state  of  the  believer  in  heaveu 
^\  from  what  it  is  here  !  Here  he  is  born  to  toil  and 
suffer  weariness ;  but  in  the  land  of  the  immortal, 
fatigue  is  never  known.  Anxious  to  serve  his  Master,  he 
finds  his  strength  unequal  to  his  zeal :  his  constant  cry  is, 
"  Help  me  to  serve  Thee,  0  my  God."  If  he  be  thoroughly 
active,  he  will  have  much  labor  ;  not  too  much  for  his  will, 
but  more  than  enough  for  his  power,  so  that  he  will  cry  out, 
"  I  am  not  wearied  of  the  labor,  but  I  am  wearied  in  it."  Ah  ! 
Christian,  the  hot  day  of  weariness  lasts  not  forever  •  the 
sun  is  nearing  the  horizon  ;  it  shall  rise  a^ain  with  a  brighter 
day  than  thou  hast  ever  seen,  upon  a  land  where  they  serve 
God  day  and  night,  and  yet  rest  from  their  labors.  Here, 
rest  is  but  partial ;  there,  it  is  perfect.  Here,  the  Christian 
is  always  unsettled ;  he  feels  that  he  has  not  yet  attained. 
There,  all  are  at  rest ;  they  have  attained  the  summit  of  the 
mountain ;  they  have  ascended  to  th.e  bosom  of  their  God. 
Higher  they  cannot  go.  Ah,  toil-worn  laborer,  only  think 
when  thou  shalt  rest  forever  !  Canst  thou  conceive  it  ?  It 
is  a  rest  eternal;  a  rest  that  "remaineth."  Here,  my  best 
joys  bear  "mortal"  on  their  brow;  my  fair  flowers  fade; 
my  dainty  cups  are  drained  to  dregs ;  my  sweetest  birda 
fal  before  death's  arrows;  my  most  pleasant  days  are 
shadowed  into  nights ;  and  the  flood-tides  of  my  bliss  sub- 
side into  ebbs  of  sorrow ;  but  there,  everything  is  immor- 
tal ;  the  harp  abides  uurusted,  the  crown  unwithered,  the 
eye  uudimmed,  the  voice  unfaltering,  the  heart  unwaver- 
ing, and  the  immortal  being  is  wholly  absorbed  in  infinite 
delight.  Happy  day !  happy  day !  when  mortality  shall 
be  swallowed  up  of  life,  and  the  Eternal  SabbaU?  Pball 
begin. 


Jan.  19.  DAILY    READINGS.  18 

"J  souijld  him,  but  I  found  him  not."  —  Canticles  Hi.  1 

;ELL  me  where  you  lost  the  company  of  Christ,  and  1 
ll^^l^'  will  tell  you  the  most  likely  place  to  find  Him.  Have 
you  lost  Christ  in  the  closet  by  restraining  ]»rayer? 
Then  it  is  there  you  must  seek  and  find  Dim.  Did  you  lose 
Christ  by  sin  ?  You  will  find  Christ  in  no  other  way  but  b} 
the  giving  up  of  the  sin,  and  seeking  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
mortify  the  member  in  which  the  lust  doth  dwell.  l">id  you 
lose  Christ  by  neglecting  the  Scriptures  ?  You  mu^t  find 
Christ  in  the  Scriptures.  It  is  a  true  proverb,  "  Look  for  a 
thing  where  you  dropped  it ;  it  is  there."  So  look  for  CSrist 
where  you  lost  Him,  for  He  has  not  gone  away.  But  ii  is 
bard  work  to  go  back  for  Christ.  Buuyan  tells  us,  the  pil- 
grim found  the  piece  of  the  road  back  to  the  Arbor  of  Easi , 
where  he  lost  his  roll,  the  hardest  he  had  ever  travelled. 
Twenty  miles  onward  is  easier  than  to  go  one  mile  back  for 
the  lost  evidence. 

Take  care,  then,  when  you  find  your  Master,  to  cling  close 
to  Him.  But  how  is  it  you  have  lost  Him  ?  One  would 
have  thought  you  would  never  have  parted  with  such  a  pre- 
cious friend,  whose  presence  is  so  sweet,  whose  words  are  so 
comforting,  and  whose  company  is  so  dear  to  you^.  How  is 
it  that  you  did  not  watch  Him  every  moment  for  fear  of 
losing  sight  of  Him  ?  Yet,  since  you  have  let  Him  go,  what 
a  mercy  that  you  are  seeking  Him,  even  though  you  mourn- 
fully groan,  "  0  that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  Him  !  "  Go 
on  socking,  for  it  is  dangerous  to  be  without  thy  Lord.  With- 
out Christ  you'are  like  a  sheep  without  its  shepherd  ;  like  a 
*■  tree  without  water  at  its  roots  ;  like  a  sere  leaf  in  the  tem- 
pest—  not  bound  to  the  tree  of  life.  With  thine  whole  heart 
Bcek  Him,  and  He  will  be  found  of  thee  :  only  give  thyself 
tJioroughly  up  to  the  search^  and  verily,  thou  shalt  yet  dis- 
cover Him  to  thy  joy  and  gladuess. 


80  DAILY  READiKGS.  Jan.  20. 

"  Abel  was  a  keeper  of  sheep."  —  Genesis  iv.  2. 

rS  a  shepherd  Abel  sanctified  his  work  to  the  glory  of 
'/^  God,  and  offered  a  sacrifice  of  blood  upon  his  altar^ 
^^  and  the  Lord  had  respect  unto  Abel  and  his  offering. 
This  early  type  of  our  Lord  is  exceedingly  clear  and  distinct. 
Like  the  first  streak  of  light  which  tinges  the  east  at  sunrise, 
it  does  not  reveal  everything,  but  it  clearly  manifests  the  great 
fact  that  the  sun  is  coining.  As  we  see  Abel,  a  shepherd 
and  yet  a  priest,  offering  a  sacrifice  of  sweet  smell  unto  God, 
we  discern  our  Lord,  who  brings  before  His  Father  a  sacri- 
fice to  which  Jehovah  ever  hath  respect.  Abel  was  hated  by 
his  brother  —  hated  without  a  cause ;  and  even  so  was  the 
Saviour  :  the  natural  and  carnal  man  hated  the  accepted  man 
in  whom  the  Spirit  of  grace  was  found,  and  rested  not  until 
his  blood  had  been  shed.  Abel  fell,  and  sprinkled  his  altar 
and  sacrifice  with  his  own  blood,  and  therein  sets  forth  the 
Lord  Jesus  slain  by  the  enmity  of  man  while  serving  as  a 
priest  before  the  Lord.  "  The  good  Shepherd  layeth  down 
His  life  for  the  sheep."  Let  us  weep  over  Him  as  we  view 
Him  slain  by  the  hatred  of  mankind,  staining  the  horns  of  His 
altar  with  His  own  blood.  AbeVs  blood  speaketh.  "  The 
Lord  said  unto  Cain,  The  voice  of  thy  brother's  blood  crieth 
unto  Me  from  the  ground."  The  blood  of  Jesus-  hath  a  mighty 
tongue,  and  the  import  of  its  prevailing  cry  is  not  vengeance, 
but  mercy.  It  is  precious  beyond  all  preciousness  to  stand  at 
the  altar  of  our  good  Shepherd  ;  to  see  Him  bleeding  there  as 
the  slaughtered  priest,  and  then  to  hear  His  blood  speaking 
peace  to  all  His  flock,  peace  in  our  conscience,  peace  between 
Jew  and  Gentile,  peace  between  man  and  his  offended  Maker, 
peace  all  down  the  ages  of  eternity  for  blood-washed  men. 
Abel  is  the  first  shepherd  in  order  of  time,  but  our  hearts 
shall  ever  place  Jesus  first  in  order  of  excellence.  Thou  great 
Keeper  of  the  sheep,  we  the  people  of  Thy  pasture  bless  The# 
with  our  whole  hearts  when  we  see  Thee  slain  for  us. 


Jan.  Jjl.  DAILY    READINOfl.  21 

"And  so  all  Israel  shall  be  saved."  —  Romans  xi.  26. 

i|i|-^JIEN  Moses  sang  at  tlic  Iiod  Sea,  it  was  his  joy  to 
iKfj  know  that  all  Israel  were  safe.  Not  a  drop  of  spray 
*'^  fell  from  that  solid  wall  until  the  last  of  God's  Israel 
had  safely  planted  his  foot  on  the  other  side  the  flood.  That 
done,  immediately  the  floods  dissolved  into  their  proper  place 
again,  but  not  till  then.  Part  of  that  song  was,  "  Thou  in  thy 
mercy  hast  led  forth  the  people  which  thou  hast  redeemed." 
In  the  last  time,  when  the  elect  shall  sing  the  song  of 
Moses,  the  servant  of  God,  and  of  the  Lamb,  it  shall  be  the 
boast  of  Jesus,  "  Of  all  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  I  have  lost 
none."     In  heaven  there  shall  not  be  a  vacant  throne 

"  For  all  the  chosen  race 

Shall  meet  around  the  throne, 
Shall  bless  the  conduct  of  His  grace, 
And  make  His  glories  known." 

As  many  as  God  hath  chosen,  as  many  as  Christ  bath  re- 
deemed, as  many  as  the  Spirit  hath  called,  as  many  as  believe 
in  Jesus,  shall  safely  cross  the  dividing  sea.  We  are  not 
all  safely  landed  yet : 

"  Part  of  the  host  have  crossed  the  flood, 
And  part  are  crossing  now." 

The  vanguard  of  the  army  has  already  reached  the  shore. 
We  are  marching  through  the  depths  ;  we  are  at  this  day  fol- 
lowing hard  after  our  Leader  into  the  heart  of  the  sea.  Let 
us  be  of  good  cheer  :  the  rearguard  shall  soon  be  where  the 
vanguard  already  is ;  the  last  of  the  chosen  ones  shall  soon 
have  crossed  the  sea,  and  then  shall  be  heard  the  song  of 
triumph,  when  all  are  secure.  But  oh !  if  one  were  absent 
—  oh!  if  one  of  his  chosen  family  should  be  cast  away  —  it 
i^ould  make  an  everlasting  discord  in  the  song  of  the  re- 
deemed, and  cut  the  strings  of  the  harps  of  paradise,  so  that 
music  could  never  be  extorted  from  them. 


22  DAILY  RLAD1NG9.  Jan.  22.' 


Son  of  man,  What  is  the  vine  tree  more  than  any  tree,  or  than  a 
branch  which  is  among  the  trees  of  the  forest'}  "  —  Ezek.  xv.  2. 

^^HESE  words  are  for  the  humbling  of  God's  people; 

lb  they  are  called  God's  vine,  but  what  are  they  by  na- 
ture more  than  others  ?  They,  by  God's  goodness, 
have  become  fruitful,  having  been  planted  in  a  good  soil ;  the 
Lord  hath  trained  them  upon  the  walls  of  the  sanctuary,  and 
they  bring  forth  fruit  to  His  glory  ;  but  what  are  they  without 
their  God  ?  What  are  they  without  the  continual  influence 
of  the  Spirit,  begetting  fruitfuluess  in  them  ?  0  believer, 
learn  to  reject  pride,  seeing  that  thou  hast  no  ground  for  it. 
Whatever  thou  art,  thou  hast  nothing  to  make  thee  proud. 
The  more  thou  hast,  the  more  thou  art  in  debt  to  God ;  and 
thou  shouldst  not  be  proud  of  that  which  renders  thee  a 
debtor.  Consider  thine  origin  !  look  back  to  what  thou  wast. 
Consider  what  thou  wouldst  have  been  but  for  divine  grace. 
Look  upon  thyself  as  thou  art  now.  Doth  not  thy  conscience 
reproach  thee  ?  Do  not  thy  thousand  wanderings  stand  be- 
fore thee,  and  tell  thee  that  thou  art  unworthy  to  be  called 
His  son  ?  And  if  He  hath  made  thee  anything,  art  thou  not 
taught  thereby  that  it  is  grace  which  hath  made  thee  to  dif- 
fer ?  Great  believer,  thou  wouldst  have  been  a  great  sinner 
if  God  had  not  made  thee  to  differ.  0  thou  who  art  valiant  for 
truth,  thou  wouldst  have  been  as  valiant  for  error  if  grace 
had  not  kid  hold  upon  thee.  Therefore,  be  not  proud, 
though  thou  hast  a  large  estate  —  a  wide  domain  of  grace; 
thou  hadst  not  once  a  single  thing  to  call  thine  own  ex- 
cept thy  sin  and  misery.  Oh  !  strange  infatuation,  that 
thou,  who  hast  borrowed  everything,  shouldst  think  of  ex- 
alting thyself;  a  poor  dependent  pensioner  upon  the  bounty 
of  thy  Saviour,  one  who  hath  a  life  which  dies  without  fresh 
Btreams  of  life  from  Jesus,  and  yet  proud !  Fie  on  thee, 
0  silly  heart  ! 


tan.  23.  DAitr  headings.  23 


"  I  have  exalted  one  chosen  out  of  the  people."  —  Ps.  Ixxxix.  19. 

/^'^HY  was  Christ  chosen  out  of  tlie  people  ?  Speak, 
ifuJi  my  heart,  for  heart-thoughts  are  best.  Was  it  no*. 
'^'^  that  He  might  be  able  to  be  our  brolht,  in  the  llest 
tie  of  kindred  blood  ?  Oh,  what  relationship  there  is  be- 
tween Christ  and  the  believer !  The  believer  can  say,  "  1 
have  a  Brother  in  heaven ;  I  may  be  poor,  but  I  have  a 
Brother  who  is  rich,  and  is  a  King,  and  will  He  suflfcr  me  to 
want  while  He  is  on  His  throne  ?  Oh,  no  !  He  loves  me ; 
He  is  my  brother."  Believer,  wear  this  blessed  thought, 
like  a  necklace  of  diamonds,  around  the  neck  of  thy  memo- 
ry ;  put  it,  as  a  golden  ring,  on  the  finger  of  recollection, 
and  use  it  as  the  King's  own  seal,  stamping  the  petitions  of 
thy  faith  with  confidence  of  success.  He  is  a  brother,  born 
for  adversity ;  treat  him  as  such. 

Christ  was  also  chosen  out  of  the  people  that  He  might 
know  our  wants  and  sympathize  with  us.  "  He  was  tempted 
in  all  points  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin."  In  all  our 
sorrows  we  have  His  sympathy.  Temptation,  pain,  disap- 
pointment, weakness,  weariness,  poverty  —  He  knows  them 
all,  for  He  has  felt  all.  Remember  this,  Christian,  and  let 
it  comfort  thee.  However  difficult  and  painful  thy  road,  it 
is  marked  by  the  footsteps  of  thy  Saviour ;  and  even  when 
thou  reachcst  the  dark  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  and 
the  deep  waters  of  the  swelling  Jordan,  thou  wilt  find  Hia 
footprints  there.  In  all  places  whithersoever  we  go,  He  has 
been  our  forerunner  ;  each  burden  we  have  to  carry,  has  onco 
l>9f-«i  laid  on  the  shoulders  of  Immanuel. 

"  His  way  was  much  rougher  and  darker  than  mine  ; 
Did  Christ,  my  Lord,  suffer,  and  shall  I  repine  ? " 

Tateo  courage !     Royal  feet  have  left  a  blood-red  track  apon 
Ui»  road,  and  consecrated  the  thorny  path  forever. 


24  DAILY    READINGS.  Jan.  24. 

"  Sureli/  he  sJiall  deliver  thee  from  the  snare  of  the  fowler.** 
Psalm  xci.  3. 


\0J)  delivers  Ilis  people  from  the  snare  of  the  fowlei 
in  two  senses.     From,  and  out  of.     First,  He  deliv- 

^^  ers  them  from  the  snare  —  does  not  let  them  enter 
it ;  and  secondly,  if  they  should  be  caught  therein,  He  de- 
livers them  out  of  it.  The  first  promise  is  the  most  precious 
to  some  ;  the  second  is  the  best  to  others. 

"  He  shall  deliver  thee/rom  the  snare."  How  ?  Trouble 
is  often  the  means  whereby  God  delivers  us.  God  knows 
that  our  backsliding  will  soon  end  in  our  destruction,  and 
He  in  mercy  sends  the  rod.  We  say,  "  Lord,  why  is  this  ? " 
not  knowing  that  our  trouble  has  been  the  means  of  deliv- 
ering us  from  far  greater  evil.  Many  have  been  thus  saved 
from  ruin  by  their  sorrows  and  their  crosses ;  these  have 
frightened  the  birds  from  the  net.  At  other  times,  God 
keeps  His  people  froia  the  snare  of  the  fowler  by  giving 
them  great  spiritual  strength,  so  that  when  they  are  tempted 
to  do  evil  they  say,  "  How  can  I  do  this  great  wickedness, 
and  sin  against  God  ? "  But  what  a  blessed  thing  it  is  that 
if  the  believer  shall,  in  an  evil  hour,  come  into  the  net,  yet 
God  will  bring  him  out  of  it !  0  backslider,  be  cast  down, 
but  do  not  despair.  Wanderer  though  thou  hast  been,  hear 
what  thy  Redeemer  saith  —  "Return,  0  backsliding  chil- 
dren :  I  will  have  mercy  upon  you."  But  you  say  you 
cannot  return,  for  you  are  a  captive.  Then  listen  to  the 
promise  —  "  Surely  He  shall  deliver  thee  out  of  the  snare 
of  the  fowler."  Thou  shalt  yet  be  brought  out  of  all  the 
evil  into  which  thou  hast  fallen ;  and  though  thou  shalt 
never  cease  to  repent  of  thy  ways,  yet  He  that  hath  loved 
thee  will  not  cast  thee  away  ;  He  will  receive  thee,  and 
give  thee  joy  and  gladness,  that  the  bones  which  He  has 
broken  may  rejoice.  No  bird  of  paradise  shall  die  in  th« 
fowler's  net. 


•TaD.  25.  DAILY    hEADIKGd.  26 

"  /  will  meidion  the  loving  kindnesses  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
praises  of  the  Lord,  according  to  all  that  the  Lord  hath  bestowed 
on  us."  —  Isaiah  Ixiii.  7. 

["r^ND  canst  thou  not  do  this  ?  Are  there  no  mercies 
J|_^  whicli  tliou  hast  experienced?  What  though  thou  art 
lK*ar\  gjQQjjjy  now,  canst  thou  forget  that  blessed  hour 
when  Jesus  met  thee,  and  said,  "  Come  unto  me  "  ?  Canst 
thou  not  remember  that  rapturous  moment  when  lie  snapped 
thy  fetters,  dashed  thy  chains  to  the  earth,  and  said,  "  I 
tame  to  break  tliy  bonds  and  set  thee  free  "  ?  Or  if  the 
love  of  thine  espousals  be  forgotten,  there  must  surely  be 
some  precious  milestone  along  the  road  of  life  not  quite 
grown  over  with  moss,  on  which  thou  canst  read  a  happy 
memorial  of  His  mercy  toward  thee.  What,  didst  thou 
never  have  a  sickness  like  that  which  thou  art  suffering  now, 
and  did  He  not  restore  thee  ?  Wert  thou  never  poor  before, 
and  did  He  not  supply  thy  wants  ?  Wast  thou  never  in  straits 
before,  and  did  He  not  deliver  thee  ?  Arise,  go  to  the  river 
of  thine  experience,  and  pull  up  a  few  bulrushes,  and  plait 
them  into  an  ark,  wherein  thine  infant-faith  may  float  safely 
on  the  stream.  Forget  not  what  thy  God  has  done  for  thee  ; 
turn  over  the  book  of  thy  remembrance,  and  consider  the 
days  of  old.  Canst  thou  not  remember  the  hill  Mizar  ?  Did 
the  Lord  never  meet  with  thee  at  Hermon  ?  Hast  thou  never 
climbed  the  Delectable  Mountains  ?  Hast  thou  never  been 
helped  in  time  of  need  ?  Nay,  I  know  thou  hast.  Go  back, 
then,  a  little  way  to  the  choice  mercies  of  yesterday,  and 
though  all  may  be  dark  now.,  light  up  the  lamps  of  the  past ; 
they  shall  glitter  through  the  darkness,  and  thou  shalt  trust 
in  the  Lord  till  the  day  bre?k  and  the  shadows  flee  away. 
"  Remember,  0  Lord,  thy  tender  mercies  and  thy  loving 
kindDesses,  for  they  have  bc<'u  ever  of  old." 

a 


^6  DAILY   HEADINGS.  ^SkU.  ^6. 


"  Tour  heavenly  Father."  —  Matthew  ri.  26. 

^*OD'S  people  are  doubly  His  cliildren ;  they  are  Hia 
;t^l;  oflfspring  by  creation,  and  they  are  His  sons  by  adop- 
tion in  Christ.  Hence  they  are  privileged  to  call 
Him,  "  Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven."  Father !  Oh, 
what  a  precious  word  is  that !  Here  is  auUiority  :  "  If  I  be 
a  Father,  where  is  mine  honor?"  If  ye  be  sons,  where  is 
your  obedience  ?  Here  is  affection  mingled  with  authority  ; 
an  authority  which  does  not  provoke  rebellion  ;  an  obedience 
demanded  which  is  most  cheerfully  rendered  —  which  would 
not  be  withheld  even  if  it  might.  The  obedience  which  God's 
children  yield  to  Him  must  be  loving  obedience.  Do  not  go 
about  the  service  of  Grod  as  slaves  to  their  taskmaster's  toil, 
but  run  in  the  way  of  His  commands  because  it  is  your 
Father's  way.  Yield  your  bodies  as  instruments  of  righteous- 
ness, because  righteousness  is  your  Father's  will,  and  His  will 
should  be  the  will  of  His  child.  Father  !  —  Here  is  a  kingly 
attribute  so  sweetly  veiled  in  love,  that  the  King's  crown  is 
forgotten  in  the  King's  face,  and  His  sceptre  becomes  not  a 
rod  of  iron,  but  a  silver  sceptre  of  mercy  —  the  sceptre 
indeed  seems  to  be  forgotten  in  the  tender  hand  of  Him 
who  wields  it.  Father  !  —  Here  is  honor  and  love.  How 
great  is  a  father's  love  to  his  children  !  That  which  friend- 
ship cannot  do,  and  mere  benevolence  will  not  attempt,  a 
father's  heart  and  hand  must  do  for  his  sons.  They  are  his 
oflfspring,  he  must  bless  them  ;  they  are  his  children,  he  must 
show  himself  strong  in  their  defence.  If  an  earthly  father 
watches  over  his  children  with  unceasing  love  and  care,  how 
much  more  does  our  heavenly  Father  !  Abba,  Father  !  He 
who  can  say  this,  hath  uttered  better  music  than  cherubim 
or  seraphim  can  reach.  There  is  heaven  in  the  depth  of 
that  word  —  Father  I  There  is  all  I  can  ask  ;  all  my  neces- 
Bities  can  demand  ;  all  my  wishes  can  desire.  I  have  all  in 
•11  to  all  eternity  when  I  can  say,  "  Father." 


Jan.  27.  daily  readings.  27 


'*  And  of  his  fulness  have  all  tee  received.^'  —  John  i.  10. 


^>^f^jU.¥jSE  words  tell  us  that  there  is  a  fulness  in  Christ. 
*^i  rl*^  There  is  a  fulness  of  essential  Deity,  for  "  in  Ilim 
^***^  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead."  There 
is  a  fulness  of  perfect  manhood,  for  in  Ilim,  bodily,  that 
Godhead  was  revealed.  There  is  a  fulness  of  atoning  efficacy 
in  His  blood,  for  "  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  His  Son, 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  There  is  a  fulness  of  justifying 
righteousness  in  His  life,  for  "  there  is  therefore  now  no 
condemnation  to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus."  There  is 
a  fulness  of  divine  prevalence  in  His  plea,  for  "  He  is  able 
to  save  to  the  uttermost  them  that  come  unto  God  by  Him ; 
seeing  He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them."  There 
is  a  fulness  of  victory  in  His  death,  for  through  death  He 
destroyed  him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil. 
There  is  a  fulness  of  efficacy  in  His  resurrection  from  the 
dead,  for  by  it  "  we  are  begotten  again  unto  a  lively  hope." 
There  is  a  fulness  of  triumph  in  His  a?ccusi<ni,  for  "  when 
He  ascended  up  on  high,  He  led  captivity  captivt;.,  and 
received  gifts  for  men."  There  is  a  fulness  of  blessings  of 
every  sort  and  shape  ;  a  fulness  of  grace  to  pardon,  of  grace 
to  regenerate,  of  grace  to  sanctify,  of  grace  to  preserve,  and 
of  grace  to  perfect.  There  is  a  fulness  at  all  times  ;  a  ful- 
ness of  comfort  in  affliction  ;  a  fulness  of  guidance  in  prosper- 
ity. A  fulness  of  every  divine  attribute,  of  wisdom,  of  power, 
of  love ;  a  fulness  which  it  were  impossible  to  survey,  much 
less  to  explore.  "  It  pleased  the  Father  that  in  Him  should  all 
fulness  dwell."  Oh,  what  a  fulness  must  this  be  of  which  all 
receive  !  Fulness  indeed  must  there  be  when  the  stream  is 
always  flowing,  and  yet  the  well  springs  up  as  free,  as  rich, 
a-i  full  as  ever.  Come,  believer,  and  get  all  thy  need 
(supplied  ;  ask  largely,  and  thou  shalt  receive  largely,  for  this 
"  fulness  "  is  inexhaustible,  and  is  treasured  up  where  all  the 
needy  may  reach  it,  even  in  Jesus,  Immauuel  —  God  with  us 


28  DAILY  HEADINGS.  Jan.  28. 

^^  Perfect  in  Christ  Jesus."  —  Colossians  i.  28. 

^3^0  you  not  feel  in  your  own  soul  that  perfection  is  noi 
^u  in  you  ?  Does  not  every  day  teach  you  that  ?  Every 
tear  which  trickles  from  j^our  eye,  weeps  "  imperfec- 
tion ; "  every  sigh  w^iich  bursts  from  your  heart,  cries 
"  imperfection ;  "  every  harsh  word  which  proceeds  from 
your  lip,  mutters  "  imperfection."  You  have  too  frequently 
had  a  view  of  your  own  heart  to  dream  for  a  moment  of  any 
perfection  in  yourself.  But  amidst  this  sad  consciousness  of 
imperfection,  here  is  comfort  for  you  —  you  are  "  perfect  in 
Christ  Jesus.''  In  God's  sight,  you  are  "  complete  in  Him  ; " 
even  now  you  are  "  accepted  in  the  beloved."  But  there  is 
d  second  perfection,  yet  to  be  realized,  which  is  sure  to  all 
the  seed.  Is  it  not  delightful  to  loo^  forward  to  the  time 
when  every  stain  of  sin  shall  be  removed  from  the  believer, 
and  he  shall  be  presented  faultless  before  the  throne,  without 
spot,  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing  ?  The  Church  of  Christ 
then  will  be  so  pure,  that  not  even  the  eye  of  Omniscience 
will  see  a  spot  or  blemish  in  her ;  so  holy  and  so  glorious, 
that  Hart  did  not  go  beyond  the  truth  when  he  said  — 

"With  my  Saviour's  garments  on, 
Holy  as  the  Holy  One." 

Then  shall  we  know,  an  1  taste,  and  feel  the  happiness  of  this 
vast  but  short  sentence,  "  Complete  in  Christ."  Not  till  then 
shall  we  fully  comprehend  the  heights  and  depths  of  the  sal- 
vation of  Jesus.  Doth  not  thy  heart  leap  for  joy  at  the 
thought  of  it  ?  Black  as  thou  art,  thou  jhalt  be  white  one 
day ;  *  filthy  as  thou  art,  thou  shalt  be  clean.  Oh,  it  is  a 
marvellous  salvation  this  !  Christ  takes  a  worm  and  trans- 
forms it  into  an  angel ;  Christ  takes  a  black  and  deformed 
tiling  and  makes  it  clean  and  matchless  in  His  glory,  peerless 
in  His  beauty,  and  fit  to  be  the  companion  of  seraphs.  0 
my  soul,  stand  and  admire  this  blessed  truth  of  perfection 
in  Christ. 


Jan.  2U.  WAILY    llEAl)INOS.  Jid 


•*  27te  things  wliich  are  not  seen.**  —  2  Corinthians  iv.  18. 


iHi 


^'^ff^  our  Christian  pilgrimage,  it  is  well,  for  the  most 
'-  part,  to  be  looking  forward.  Forward  lies  the  crown, 
and  onward  is  the  goal.  Whether  it  be  for  hope,  fof 
joy,  for  consolation,  or  for  the  inspiring  of  our  love,  the  future 
must,  after  all,  be  the  grand  object  of  the  eye  of  faith.  Look- 
ing into  the  future,  we  see  sin  cast  out,  the  body  of  sin  and 
death  destroyed,  the  soul  made  perfect,  and  fit  to  be  a  par 
taker  of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  lij^ht.  Lookinjr  fur- 
ther  yet,  the  believer's  enlightened  eye  can  see  death's  river 
passed,  the  gloomy  stream  forded,  and  the  hills  of  light  at- 
tained on  which  standeth  the  celestial  city ;  he  seeth  himself 
enter  within  the  pearly  gates,  hailed  as  more  than  conqueror, 
crowned  by  the  hand  of  Christ,  embraced  in  the  arms  of  Je- 
sus, glorified  with  Him,  and  made  to  sit  together  with  Ilim 
on  His  throne,  even  as  He  has  overcome  and  has  sat  down 
with  the  Father  on  His  throne.  The  thought  of  this  future 
may  well  relicTC  the  darkness  of  the  past  and  the  gloom  of 
the  present.  The  joys  of  heaven  will  surely  compensate  for 
the  sorrows  of  earth.  Hush,  my  fears  !  this  world  is  but  a 
narrow  span,  and  thou  shalt  soon  have  passed  it.  Hush,  hush, 
my  doubts  !  death  i?  but  a  narrow  stream,  and  thou  shalt  soon 
have  forded  it.  Time,  how  short  —  eternity,  how  long  I  Death, 
how  brief  —  immortality,  how  endless  !  Methiuks  I  even  now 
eat  of  Eshcol's  clusters,  and  sip  of  the  well  which  is  within  the 
gate.     The  road  is  so,  so  short !     I  shall  soon  be  there. 

"When  the  world  my  heart  is  rending 

With  its  heaviest  storm  of  care, 
My  glad  thoughts,  to  heaven  ascending, 

Find  a  refuge  from  despair. 
Faith's  briglit  vision  shall  sustain  me 

Till  life's  i)ilgrimage  is  past; 
Fears  may  vex,  and  troubles  pain  m«, 

I  shall  reach  my  home  at  last." 

8* 


S6  bAiLY  liiEADiNGS.  Jan.  S6 


"When  thou  heare.st  the  sound  of  a  going  in  the  tops  of  the  muU 
berry  trees,  then  thou  shalt  bestir  thyself."  —  2  Sam.  v.  24. 

j^HE  members  of  Christ's  Church  should  be  very  prajer- 
)^-  ful,  always  seeking  the  unction  of  the  Holy  One  to 
rest  upon  their  hearts,  that  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
may  come,  and  that  His  "  will  be  done  on  earth,  even  as  il 
is  in  heaven  ;  "  but  there  are  times  when  God  seems  especial- 
ly to  favor  Zion  ;  such  seasons  ought  to  be  to  them  like  "  the 
sound  of  a  going  in  the  tops  of  the  mulberry  trees."  We 
ought  then  to  be  doubly  prayerful,  doubly  earnest,  wrestling 
more  at  the  throne  than  we  have  been  wont  to  do.  Action 
should  then  be  prompt  and  vigorous.  The  tide  is  flowing  — 
now  let  us  pull  manfully  for  the  shore.  0  for  Pentecostal 
outpourings  and  Pentecostal  labors  !  Christian,  in  yourself 
there  are  times  "  when  thou  hearest  the  sound  of  a  going  in 
the  tops  of  the  mulberry  trees."  You  have  a  peculiar  power 
in  prayer  ;  the  Spirit  of  God  gives  you  joy  and  gladness  ;  the 
Scripture  is  open  to  you  ;  the  promises  are  applied  ;  you  walk 
in  the  light  of  God's  countenance  ;  you  have  peculiar  free- 
dom and  liberty  in  devotion,  and  more  closeness  of  commun- 
ion with  Christ  than  was  your  wont.  Now,  at  such  joyous 
periods,  when  you  hear  the  "  sound  of  a  going  in  the  tops  of' 
the  mulberry  trees,"  is  the  time  to  bestir  yourself;  now  is  the 
time  to  get  rid  of  any  evil  habit,  while  God  the  Spirit  helpeth 
your  infirmities.  Spread  your  sail ;  but  remember  what  you 
Bometimes  sing  — 

"  I  can  only  spread  the  sail ; 
Thou  !  Thou  !  must  breathe  the  auspicious  gale." 

Only  be  sure  you  have  the  sail  up.  Do  not  miss  the  gale 
for  want  of  preparation  for  it.  Seek  help  of  God,  that  you 
may  be  more  earnest  in  duty  when  made  more  strong  in 
faith ;  that  you  may  be  more  constant  in  prayer  when  you 
have  more  liberty  at  the  throne  ;  that  you  may  be  more  holj 
in  your  conversation  whilst  you  live  more  closely  with  Christ 


Jan.  31.  i)AiLY  uiiAUiNGS.  si 


"  The  Lord  our  righteousness."  —  Jeremiah  xxiii.  6. 

^S51[y!1)^  ^^^^  always  give  a  Christian  the  greatest  calm,  quiet, 
^1  ^  ease,  and  peace,  to  think  of  the  perfect  righteousness 
y/^RKy  Qf  Christ.  How  often  are  the  saints  of  God  downcast 
and  sad  !  I  do  not  tliink  they  ought  to  be.  I  do  not  think 
they  would  if  they  could  always  see  their  perfection  in  Christ. 
There  are  some  who  are  always  talking  about  corruption,  and 
the  depravity  of  the  heart,  and  the  innate  evil  of  the  soul. 
This  is  quite  true,  but  why  not  go  a  little  further,  and  re- 
member that  we  are  "  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus  "  ?  It  is  no 
wonder  that  those  who  are  dwelling  upon  their  own  corrup- 
tion should  wear  such  downcast  looks ;  but  surely  if  we  cull 
to  mind  that  "  Christ  is  made  unto  us  righteousness,"  we 
shall  be  of  good  cheer.  What  though  distresses  afflict  me, 
though  Satan  assault  me,  though  there  may  be  many  things 
to  be  experienced  before  I  get  to  heaven  ;  those  are  done  for 
me  in  the  covenant  of  divine  grace  ;  there  is  nothing  wanting 
in  my  Lord  ;  Christ  hath  done  it  all.  On  the  cross  He  said, 
"  It  is  finished  ! "  and  if  it  be  finished,  then  am  I  complete 
in  Him,  and  can  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory,  "  not  having  mine  own  righteousness,  which  is  of  the 
law,  but  that  which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ,  the  right- 
eousness which  is  of  God  by  faith."  You  will  not  find  on 
this  side  heaven  a  holier  people  than  those  who  receive  into 
their  hearts  the  doctrine  of  Christ's  righteousness.  AVhen  the 
believer  says,  "  I  live  on  Christ  alone  ;  I  rest  on  Him  solely 
for  salvation  ;  and  I  believe  that,  however  unworthy,  I  am 
still  saved  in  Jesus  ;  "  then  there  rises  up  as  a  motive  of  grat- 
itude this  thought  —  "  Shall  I  not  live  to  Christ  ?  Shall  I  not 
lov(  Him  and  serve  Him,  seeing  that  I  am  saved  by  His  mer- 
its?' "The  love  of  Christ  constriiueth  us,"  "that  they 
wliich  live  should  not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves,  but 
unto  Hitc  which  died  for  them."  If  saved  by  imputed  righ^ 
eousness   we  shall  greatly  value  imparted  righteousness. 


Sii  bAiLV  telEAtolifGs.  Feb.  I. 

"They  shall  sing  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord." — Ps.  cxxxviii.  5. 

•^-HE  time  when  Christians  begin  to  sing  in  the  ways  of 
the  Lord  is  when  they  first  lose  their  burden  at  the 
foot  of  the  Cross.  Not  even  the  songs  of  the  angela 
seem  so  sweet  as  the  first  song  of  rapture  which  gushes  from 
the  inmost  soul  of  the  forgiven  child  of  God.  You  know 
how  John  Bunyan  describes  it.  He  says,  when  poor  Pilgrim 
lost  his  burden  at  the  Cross,  he  gave  three  great  leaps,  and 
went  on  his  way  singing  — 

"  Blest  Cross  !  blest  Sepulchre  !  blest  rather  be 
The  Man  that  there  was  put  to  shame  for  me  !  " 

Believer,  do  you  recollect  the  day  when  your  fetters  fell  ofi"? 
Do  you  remember  the  place  when  Jesus  met  you,  and  said, 
"  I  have  lotod  thee  with  an  everlasting  love  ;  I  have  blotted 
out  as  a  cloud  thy  transgressions,  and  as  a  thick  cloud  thy 
sins ;  they  sha,ll  not  be  mentioned  against  thee  any  more 
forever"?  Oh!  what  a  sweet  season  is  that  when  Jesus 
takes  away  the  pain  of  sin  !  When  the  Lord  first  pardoned 
my  sin,  I  was  so  joyous  that  I  could  scarce  refrain  from 
dancing.  I  thought  on  my  road  home  from  the  house 
where  I  had  been  set  at  liberty,  that  I  must  tell  the  stones 
in  the  street  the  story  of  my  deliverance.  So  full  was  my 
soul  of  joy,  that  I  wanted  to  tell  every  snow-flake  that  was 
falling  from  heaven,  of  the  wondrous  love  of  Jesus,  who 
had  blotted  out  the  sins  of  one  of  the  chief  of  rebels.  But 
it  is  not  only  at  the  commencement  of  the  Christian  life 
that  believers  have  reason  for  song ;  as  long  as  they  live 
they  discover  cause  to  sing  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord,  and 
their  experience  of  His  constant  loving  kindness  leads  Aiem 
to  say,  "  I  will  bless  the  Lord  at  all  times  :  His  praise  ^hall 
contiiiually  bo  in  my  mouth."  See  to  it,  brother,  that  (,4iou 
magnifiest  the  Lord  this  day, 

"  Long  as  we  tread  this  desert  land, 
New  mercies  shall  new  songs  demand.'* 


Pol).  2.  iJAtLY   feEADliJGS.  33 

"  Without  shedding  of  blood  is  no  remission." — Heb.  ix.  22. 

^-,IIIS  is  the  voice  o '  unalterable  truth.  In  none  of  the 
\)^  Jewish  ceremonies  were  sins,  even  tj'pically,  removed 
without  blood-shedding.  In  no  case,  by  no  means  can 
sin  be  pardoned  without  atonement.  It  is  clear,  then,  that 
fcliere  is  no  hope  for  me  out  of  Christ ;  for  there  is  uo  other 
blood-shedding  which  is  worth  a  thought  aa  an  atonement  for 
Bin.  Am  I,  then,  believing  in  Ilim  ?  Is  the  blood  of  His 
atonement  truly  applied  to  my  soul  ?  All  men  are  on  a  level 
as  to  their  need  of  Ilim.  If  we  be  never  so  moral,  generous, 
amiable,  or  patriotic,  the  rule  will  not  be  altered  to  make  an 
exception  for  us.  Sin  will  yield  to  nothing  less  potent  than 
the  blood  of  Ilim  whom  Gud  hath  set  forth  as  a  propitiation. 
What  a  blessing  that  there  is  the  one  way  of  pardon  !  Why 
should  we  seek  another  ?  Persons  of  merely  formal  religion 
cannot  understand  how  we  can  rejoice  that  all  our  sins  are 
forgiven  us  for  Christ's  sake.  Their  works,  and  prayers,  and 
ceremonies,  give  them  very  poor  comfort ;  and  well  may  they 
be  uneasy,  for  they  are  neglecting  the  one  great  salvation, 
and  endeavoring  to  get  remission  without  blood.  My  soul, 
sit  down,  and  behold  the  justice  of  God  as  bound  to  punish 
Bin ;  see  that  punishment  all  executed  upon  thy  Lord  Jesus, 
and  fall  down  in  humble  joy,  and  kiss  the  dear  feet  of  Ilim 
whose  blood  has  made  atonement  for  thee.  It  is  in  vain 
when  conscience  is  aroused,  to  fly  to  feelings  and  evidences 
for  comfort  ;  this  is  a  habit  which  we  learned  in  the  Egypt 
of  our  legal  bondage.  The  only  restorative  for  a  guilty  con- 
science is  a  sight  of  Jesus  suffering  on  the  cross.  "  The 
blood  is  the  life  thereof,"  says  the  Levitical  law,  and  let  us 
rest  assured  that  it  is  the  life  of  faith  and  joy  and  evo»'/  other 
holy  grace. 

"  Oh  !  how  sweet  to  view  the  flowing 
Of  my  Saviour's  precious  blood, 
With  divine  assurance  knowing 
He  has  made  my  peace  with  OodI  " 


i)AILY   READINGS.  Pelb.  3 


"  Tlierefore,  brethren,  we  are  debtors."  —  Romans  viii.  12. 

ll'-r-S  God's  creatures,  we  are  all  debtors  to  Him ;  to  obey 
f;^  Him  with  all  our  body,  and  soul,  and  strength.  Hav- 
^^*^^^^^  ing  broken  His  commandments,  as  we  all  have,  we 
are  debtors  to  His  justice,  and  we  owe  to  Him  a  vast  amount 
which  we  are  not  able  to  pay.  But  of  the  Christian  it  can  be 
said,  that  he  does  not  owe  God's  justice  anything,  for  Christ 
has  paid  the  debt  His  people  owed  ;  for  this  reason  the  be- 
liever owes  the  more  to  I'ove.  I  am  a  debtor  to  God's  grace 
and  forgiving  mercy  ;  but  I  am  no  debtor  to  His  justice,  for 
He  will  never  accuse  me  of  a  debt  already  paid.  Christ  said, 
"  It  is  finished  !  "  and  by  that  He  meant,  that  whatever  His 
people  owed  was  wiped  away  forever  from  the  book  of  re- 
membrance. Christ,  to  the  uttermost,  has  satisfied  divine 
justice  ;  the  account  is  settled  ;  the  handwriting  is  nailed  to 
the  cross ;  the  receipt  is  given,  and  we  are  debtors  to  God's 
justice  no  longer.  But  then,  because  we  are  not  debtors  to 
our  Lord  in  that  sense,  we  become  ten  times  more  debtors 
to  God  than  we  should  have  been  otherwise.  Christian,  pause 
and  ponder  for  a  moment.  What  a  debtor  thou  art  to  divine 
sovereignty  !  How  much  thou  owest  to  His  disinterested  love  I 
for  He  gave  His  own  Son  that  He  might  die  for  thee.  Con- 
sider how  much  you  owe  to  His  forgiving  grace,  that  after  ten 
thousand  aflFrouts  He  loves  you  as  infinitely  as  ever.  Consider 
what  you  owe  to  His  power ;  how  He  has  raised  you  from  your 
death  in  sin  ;  how  He  has  preserved  your  spiritual  life  ;  how 
He  has  kept  you  from  falling  ;  and  how,  thougli  a  thousand 
enemies  have  beset  your  path,  you  have  been  able  tu  hold  on 
your  way.  Consider  what  you  owe  to  His  hi  ^mutability. 
Though  you  have  changed  a  thousand  times.  He  has  not 
changed  on^e.  Thou  art  as  deep  in  debt  as  thou  canst  be 
to  every  attribute  of  God.  To  Gcd  thou  owest  thyself,  and 
ftll  thou  hast  —  yield  thyself  as  a  living  sacrifice;  it  ia  but 
thy  reasonable  service. 


Feb.  4.  DAILY    HEADINGS.  S5 

"  27(6  love  of  the  Lord." — Hosea  iii.  1. 

Ijj^.^ELIEVEK,  look  hack  through  all  thine  experience, 
^^  and  think  of  the  way  whorchy  the  Lord  thy  God  haa 
'^  led  thee  in  the  wilderness,  and  how  He  hath  fed  and 
clothed  thee  every  day  —  how  He  ha;h  borne  with  th!ne  ill 
manners  —  how  He  hath  put  up  with  all  thy  murmurings, 
and  all  thy  longings  aft'er  the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt — how  Ho 
has  opened  the  rock  to  supply  thee,  and  fed  thee  with  manna 
that  came  down  from  heaven.  Think  of  how  His  grace  haa 
been  sufficient  for  thee  in  all  thy  troubles  —  how  His  blood 
has  been  a  pardon  to  thee  in  all  thy  sins  —  how  His  rod  and 
His  staff  have  comforted  thee.  "When  thou  hast  thus  looked 
back  upon  the  love  of  the  Lord,  then  let  faith  survey  His 
love  in  the  future,  for  remember  that  Christ's  covenant  and 
blood  have  something  more  in  them  than  the  ^jast.  He  who 
has  loved  thee  and  pardoned  thee,  shall  never  cease  to  love 
and  pardon.  He  is  Alpha,  and  He  shall  be  Omega  also  :  He 
is  first,  and  He  shall  be  last.  Tliereforc,  bethink  thee,  when 
thou  shalt  pass  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death, 
thou  needest  fear  no  evil,  for  He  is  with  thee.  When  thou 
shalt  stand  in  the  cold  floods  of  Jordan,  thou  needest  not 
fear,  for  death  cannot  separate  thee  from  His  love  ;  and  when 
thou  shalt  come  into  the  mysteries  of  eternity  thou  needest 
not  tremble,  "  for  I  am  persuaded,  that  neither  death,  nor 
life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor  things 
present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any 
other  creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord."  Now,  soul,  is  not 
thy  love  refreshed  ?  Does  not  this  make  thee  love  Jesus  ? 
Doth  not  a  flight  through  illimitable  plains  of  the  ether  of 
love  inflame  thy  heart  and  compel  thee  to  delight  thyself  in 
the  Lord  thy  God  ?  Surely  as  we  meditate  on  "  the  love  of 
the  Lord,"  our  hearts  burn  within  us,  and  we  long  to  lovo 
Him  more. 


bkti.\  tiicADtNos.  f  eb.  5. 


"  The  Father  sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world." 
1  John  iv.  14. 

^S^^JTT  is  a  sweet  tliouglit  that  Jesus  Christ  did  not  come 
^^1  '^^1  ^^^^^  without  His  Father's  permission,  authority,  con- 
y/'^te?<  ggnt^  and  assistance.  Ho  was  sent  of  the  Father,  that 
He  might  be  the  Saviour  of  men.  "We  are  too  apt  to  forget, 
that  while  there  are  distinctions  as  to  the  -persons  in  the  Trin- 
ity, there  are  no  distinctions  of  honor.  We  too  frequently 
ascribe  the  honor  of  our  salvation,  or  at  least  the  depths  of 
its  benevolence,  more  to  Jesus  Christ  than  we  do  to  the  Fa- 
ther. This  is  a  very  great  mistake.  What  if  Jesus  came  ? 
Did  not  His  Father  send  Him  ?  If  He  spake  wondrously, 
did  not  His  Father  pour  grace  into  His  lips,  that  He  might 
be  an  able  minister  of  the  new  covenant  ?  He  who  knoweth 
the  Father,  and  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  as  he  should 
know  them,  never  setteth  one  before  another  in  his  love ;  he 
sees  them  at  Bethlehem,  at  Grethsemane,  and  on  Calvary,  all 
equally  engaged  in  the  work  of  salvation.  0  Christian,  hast 
thou  put  thy  confidence  in  the  Man  Christ  Jesus  ?  Hast  thou 
placed  thy  reliance  solely  on  Him  ?  And  art  thou  united  with 
Him  ?  Then  believe  that  thou  art  united  unto  the  God  of 
heaven.  Since  to  the  Man  Christ  Jesus  thou  art  brother,  and 
boldest  closest  fellowship,  thou  art  linked  thereby  with  God 
the  Eternal,  and  "  the  Ancient  of  days  "  is  thy  Father  and 
thy  Friend.  Didst  thou  ever  consider  the  depth  of  love  it 
the  heart  of  Jehovah,  when  God  the  Father  equipped  His 
Son  for  the  great  enterprise  of  mercy  ?  If  not,  be  this  thy 
day's  meditation.  The  Father  sent  Him  !  Contemplate  that 
subject.  Think  how  Jesus  works  what  the  Father  wills.  In 
the  wounds  of  the  dying  Saviour  see  the  love  of  the  great 
I  AM.  Let  every  thought  of  Jesus  be  also  connected  with 
the  Eternal,  ever-blessed  God,  for  "  it  pleased  the  Lord  to 
bi  uise  Him ;  He  haih  put  Him  to  grief." 


Feb.  6.  DAILY    EEABINOS.  87 

"  Prai/ing  always."  —  Ephesians  vi.  18. 

^Tll^ILVT  multitudes  of  prayers  we  have  put  up  from  tho 
W/fl0i  fii'^^t.  niomcQt  when  wc  learned  to  pray  !  Our  first 
^^*^  prayer  was  a  prayer  for  ourselves  ;  we  asked  that  God 
would  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  blot  out  our  sin.  He  heard 
us.  But  when  He  had  blotted  out  our  sins  like  a  cloud,  then 
we  had  more  prayers  for  ourselves.  Wc  have  had  to  pray  for 
sanctifying  grace,  for  constraining  and  restraining  grace  ;  we 
have  been  led  to  crave  for  a  fresh  assurance  of  faith,  for  the 
comfortable  application  of  the  promise,  for  deliverance  in  the 
hour  of  temptation,  for  help  in  the  time  of  duty,  and  for  suc- 
cor in  the  day  of  trial.  Wc  have  been  compelled  to  go  to 
God  for  our  souls,  as  constant  beggars  asking  for  everything. 
Bear  witness,  children  of  God,  you  have  never  been  able  to 
get  anything  for  your  souls  elsewhere.  All  the  bread  your 
soul  has  eaten  has  come  down  from  heaven,  and  all  iiie  water 
of  which  it  has  drank  has  flowed  from  the  living  rock  —  Chris! 
Jesus  the  Lord.  Your  soul  has  never  grown  rich  in  itself 
it  has  always  been  a  pensioner  upon  the  daily  bounty  of  God  j 
and  hence  your  prayers  have  ascended  to  heaven  for  a  range 
of  spiritual  mercies  all  but  infinite.  Your  wants  were  in- 
numerable, and  therefore  the  supplies  have  been  infinitely 
great,  and  your  prayers  have  been  as  varied  as  the  mercies 
have  been  countless.  Then  have  you  not  cause  to  say,  "  I 
love  the  Lord,  because  He  hath  heard  the  voice  of  my  sup- 
plication "  ?  For  as  your  prayers  have  been  many,  so  also 
have  been  God's  answers  to  them.  He  has  heard  you  in 
the  day  of  trouble,  has  strengthened  you,  and  helped  you, 
even  when  you  dishonored  Him  by  trembling  and  doubting 
at  the  mercy-seat.  Remember  this,  and  let  it  fill  your  heart 
with  gratitude  to  God,  who  has  thus  graciously  heard  youi 
poor  weak  prayers.  "  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul,  and  forget 
Dot  all  His  benefits." 
4 


88  DAILy   READINGS.  Feb.  7. 


"  Arise  ye,  and  depart."  —  Micah  ii.  10. 


p^^-IIE  hour  is  approaching  when  the  message  will  come 
^ll^t'  to  us,  as  it  comes  to  all —  "  Arise,  and  go  forth  from 
^'"^  the  home  in  which  thou  hast  dwelt,  from  the  city  in 
which  thou  hast  done  thy  business,  from  thy  family,  from  thy 
friends.  Arise,  and  take  thy  last.journey."  And  what  know 
we  of  the  journey  r  And  what  know  we  of  the  country  to 
which  we  are  bound  ?  A  little  we  have  read  thereof,  and 
somewhat  has  been  revealed  to  us  by  the  Spirit;  but  how 
little  do  we  know  of  the  realms  of  the  future  !  We  know 
that  there  is  a  black  and  stormy  river  called  "  Death."  God 
bids  us  cross  it,  promising  to  be  with  us.  And,  after  death, 
what  cometh  ?  What  wonder-world  will  open  upon  our  as- 
tonished sight  ?  What  scene  of  glory  will  be  unfolded  to  our 
view  ?  No  traveller  has  ever  returned  to  tell.  But  we  know 
enough  of  the  heavenly  land  to  make  us  welcome  our  sum- 
mons thither  with  joy  and  gladness.  The  journey  of  death 
may  be  dark,  but  we  may  go  forth  on  it  fearlessly,  knowing 
that  God  is  with  us  as  we  walk  through  the  gloomy  vall-ey, 
and  therefore  we  need  foar  no  evil.  We  shall  be  departing 
from  all  we  have  known  and  loved  here,  but  we  shall  be  going 
to  our  Father's  house  —  to  our  Father's  home,  where  Jesus 
is — to  that  royal  "  city  which  hath  foundations,  whose  builder 
and  maker  is  God."  This  shall  be  our  last  removal,  to  dwell 
forever  with  Him  we  love,  in  the  midst  of  His  people,  in 
the  presence  of  God.  Christian,  meditate  much  on  heaven  ; 
it  will  help  thee  to  press  on,  and  to  forget  the  toil  of  the 
way.  This  vale  of  tears  is  but  the  pathway  to  the  better 
country;  this  world  of  woe  is  but  the  stepping-stoue  to  a 
irorld  of  bliss. 


Prepare  us,  Lord,  by  grace  divine, 
For  Thy  bright  courts  on  high  ; 

Then  bid  our  spirits  rise,  and  join 
The  chorus  of  the  sky." 


Feb.  8.  DAILY    HEADINGS.  39 

"  Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus."  —  Matthew  i.  21. 

$^IA;HEN  a  person  is  dear,  everything  connected  with  him 
MiMh  becomes  dear  for  his  sake.  Thus,  so  ])recious  is  the 
**'^^  person  of  the  Lord  Jesus  iu  the  estimation  of  all  true 
believers,  that  everything  about  Ilim  they  consider  to  be  in- 
estimable beyond  all  price.  "  All  thy  garments  smell  of 
myrrh,  and  aloes,  and  cassia,"  said  David,  as  if  the  very  vest- 
ments of  the  Saviour  were  so  sweetened  by  Ilis  person  thai 
he  could  not  but  love  them.  Certain  it  is,  that  there  is  not 
a  spot  where  that  hallowed  foot  hath  trodden  —  there  is  not 
a  word  which  those  blessed  lips  have  uttered  —  nor  a  *hought 
which  Ilis  loving  AVord  has  revealed  —  which  is  not  to  us 
preciou.'!  beyond  all  price.  And  this  is  true  of  the  names  of 
Christ  —  they  are  all  sweet  in  the  believer's  ear.  Whether 
He  be  called  the  Husband  of  the  Church,  her  Bridegroom, 
her  Friend ;  whether  He  be  styled  the  Lamb  slain  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world  —  the  King,  the  Prophet,  or  the 
Priest  —  every  title  of  our  Master  —  Shiloh,  Emmanuel, 
Wonderful,  the  Mighty  Counsellor  —  every  name  is  like  the 
honeycomb  dropping  with  honey,  and  luscious  are  the  drops 
that  distil  from  it.  But  if  there  be  one  name  sweeter  than 
another  in  the  believer's  ear,  it  is  the  name  of  Jesus.  Jesus  ! 
it  is  the  name  which  moves  the  harps  of  heaven  to  melody. 
Jesus  !  the  life  of  all  our  joys.  If  there  be  one  name  more 
charming,  more  precious  than  another,  it  is  this  name.  It  is 
woven  iuto  ihc  very  warp  and  woof  of  our  psalmody.  Many 
of  our  hyimis  begin  with  it,  and  scarcely  any,  that  are  good 
for  anything,  end  without  it.  It  is  the  sum  total  of  all  de- 
lights. It  is  the  music  with  which  the  bells  of  heaven  ring; 
a  song  in  a  word  ;  an  ocean  for  comprehension,  although  a 
drop  for  brevity  ;  a  matchless  oratorio  in  two  syllables ;  a 
gathering  up  of  the  hallelujahs  of  eternity  in  fiv(  letters. 

"  Jesus,  I  love  Thy  charmiug  name  ; 
'Tis  music  to  mine  ear." 


40  DAILY    READINGS.  Feb.   9 

"And  David  inquired  of  the  Lord." — 2  Samuel  v.  23. 

f^HEN  David  made  this  inquiry  lie  had  just  fouglit  the 
Philistines,  and  gained  a  signal  victory.  The  Philis- 
tines came  up  in  great  hosts,  but,  by  the  help  of  God, 
David  had  easily  put  them  to  flight.  Note,  however,  thai 
when  they  came  a  second  time,  David  did  not  go  up  to  fight 
them  without  inquiring  of  the  Lord.  Once  he  had  been  vic- 
torious, and  he  might  have  said,  as  many  have  in  other  cases, 
"  I  shall  be  victorious  again ;  I  may  rest  quite  sure  that  if  I 
have  conquered  once,  I  shall  triumph  yet  again.  Wherefore 
should  I  tarry  to  seek  at  the  Lord's  hands  ?  "  Not  so  David. 
He  had  gained  one  battle  by  the  strength  of  the  Lord ;  he 
would  not  venture  upon  another  until  he  had  insured  the 
same.  He  inquired,  "Shall  I  go  up  against  them?"  He 
waited  until  God's  sign  was  given.  Learn  from  David  to  take 
no  step  without  God.  Christian,  if  thou  wouldst  know  the 
path  of  duty,  take  God  for  thy  compass  ;  if  thou  wouldst  steer 
thy  ship  through  the  dark  billows,  put  the  tiller  into  the  hand 
of  the  Almighty.  Many  a  rock  might  be  escaped,  if  we  would 
let  our  Father  take  the  helm  ;  many  a  shoal  or  quicksand  we 
might  well  avoid,  if  we  would  leave  to  His  sovereign  will  to 
choose  and  to  command.  The  Puritan  said,  "  As  sure  as 
eyor  a  Christian  carves  for  himself,  he'll  cut  his  own  fingers;" 
this  is  a  great  truth.  Said  another  old  divine,  "  He  that  goes 
before  the  cloud  of  God's  providence  goes  on  a  fool's  errand ; " 
and  so  he  does.  We  must  mark  God's  providence  leading 
us ;  and  if  providence  tarries,  tarry  till  providence  comes. 
He  who  goes  before  providence,  will  be  very  glad  to  run 
back  again.  "  I  will  instruct  thee  and  teach  thee  in  the  way 
which  thou  shalt  go,"  is  God's  promise  to  Hi  i  people  Let 
us,  then,  take  all  our  perplexities  to  Hira,  and  say,  "  Lord, 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ? "  Leave  not  thy  chapibei 
this  morning  without  iDt\u»ring  of  the  Lord. 


Feb.   10.  DAILY    READINGS.  41 

"  I  hnuw  nuw  to  abound."  —  Philippiang  iv.  12. 

o'lIERE  are  many  who  know  "Low  to  be  abased,"  who 
^^  have  not  learned  "  how  to  abound."  When  they  are  set 
upon  the  top  of  a  pinnacle  their  heads  grow  dizzy,  and 
they  are  ready  to  fall.  The  Christian  far  oftcner  disgraces  his 
profession  in  prosperity  than  in  adversity.  It  is  a  dangerous 
thing  to  be  prosperous.  The  crucible  of  adversity  is  a  less 
severe  trial  to  the  Christian  than  the  fining-pot  of  prosperity. 
Oh,  what  leanness  of  soul  and  neglect  of  spiritual  things  have 
keen  brought  on  through  the  very  mercies  and  bounties  of 
God  !  Yet  this  is  not  a  matter  of  necessity,  for  the  apostle 
tells  us  that  he  knew  how  to  abound.  When  he  had  much  he 
knew  how  to  use  it.  Abundant  grace  enabled  him  to  bear 
abundant  prosperity.  W^hen  he  had  a  full  sail  he  was  loaded 
with  much  ballast,  and  so  floated  safely.  It  needs  more  than 
human  skill  to  carry  the  brimming  cup  of  mortal  joy  with  a 
steady  hand  ;  yet  Paul  had  learned  that  skill,  for  he  declares, 
"  In  all  things  I  am  instructed  both  to  be  full  and  to  be  hun- 
gry." It  is  a  divine  lesson  to  know  how  to  be  full,  for  the 
Israelites  were  full  once  ;  but  while  the  flesh  was  yet  in  their 
mouth,  the  wratli  of  God  came  upon  them.  Many  have  asked 
for  mercies  that  they  might  satisfy  their  own  hearts'  lust.  Ful- 
ness of  bread  has  often  made  fulness  of  blood,  and  that  has 
brought  on  wantonness  of  spirit.  When  we  have  much  of  God's 
providential  mercies,  it  often  happens  that  we  have  but  little 
of  God's  grace,  and  little  gratitude  for  the  bounties  we  have 
received.  We  are  full,  and  we  forget  G  od :  satisfied  with  earth, 
we  are  content  to  do  without  heaven.  Rest  assured  it  is  harder 
to  know  how  to  be  full  than  it  is  to  know  how  to  be  hungrjfe — 
60  desperate  is  the  tendency  of  human  nature  to  pride  and  for- 
getfulness  of  God.  Take  care  that  you  ask  in  your  prayeri 
that  God  would  teach  you  "  how  to  be  full." 
"Let  not  the  gifts  Thy  love  bestow* 
Estrange  our  hcftrts  from  Thee," 
4* 


43  DAILY    HEADINGS.  Feb.  11. 


•'  And  they  took  knowledge  of  them,  that  they  had  been  with  Jea^if." 
Acts  iv.  13. 

1/^  CHRISTIAN  should  be  a  striking  likeness  of  Jesus 
f^  Christ.  You  have  read  lives  of  Christ,  beautifully 
and  eloquently  written  ;  but  the  best  life  of  Christ  is 
His  living  biography,  written  out  in  the  words  and  actions  of 
His  people.  If  we  were  what  we  profess  to  be,  and  what  we 
should  be,  we  should  be  pictures  of  Christ ;  yea,  such  striking 
likenesses  of  Him,  that  the  world  would  not  have  to  hold  us  up 
by  the  hour  together,  and  say,  "  Well,  it  seems  somewhat  of  a 
likeness  ;"  but  they  would,  when  they  once  beheld  us,  exclaim, 
"  He  has  been  with  Jesus  ;  he  has  been  taught  of  Him  ;  he  is 
like  Him  ;  he  has  caught  the  very  idea  of  the  holy  Man  of  Naz- 
areth, and  he  works  it  out  in  his  life  and  every-day  actions.' 
A  Christian  should  be  like  Christ  in  his  boldness.  Never  blusb 
to  own  your  religion ;  your  profession  will  never  disgrace 
you  :  take  care  you  never  disgrace  that.  Be  like  Jesus  — 
very  valiant  for  your  Grod.  Imitate  Him  in  your  loving  spirit ; 
think  kindly,  speak  kindly,  and  do  kindly,  that  men  may  say 
of  you,  "  He  has  been  with  Jesus."  Imitate  Jesus  in  His 
holiness.  Was  He  zealous  for  His  Master  ?  So  be  you  ;  ever 
go  about  doing  good.  Let  not  time  be  wasted  :  it  is  too 
precious.  Was  He  self-denying,  never  looking  to  His  own 
interest  ?  Be  the  same.  Was  He  devout  ?  Be  you  fervent  in 
your  prayers.  Had  He  deference  to  His  Father's  will?  So 
submit  yourselves  to  Him.  Was  He  patient  ?  So  learn  to  en- 
dure. And  best  of  all,  as  the  highest  portraiture  of  Jesus,  try 
to  forgive  your  enemies,  as  He  did ;  and  let  those  sublime  words 
of  your  Master,  "  Father,  forgive  them ;  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do,"  always  ring  in  your  ears.  Forgive,  as  you 
hope  to  be  forgiven.  Heap  coals  of  fire  on  the  head  of  your 
foe  by  your  kindness  to  him.  Good  for  evil,  recollect,  is  god- 
like. ]5e  godlike,  then  ;  and  in  all  ways  and  by  all  means,  fjg 
live  that  all  may  say  of  you,  "  He  has  been  with  Jesus." 


Feb-    12.  DAILY    READINGS,  49 

"  For  as  the  sufferings  of  Christ  aboi  nd  in  us,  so  our  consolation 
also  aboundeth  by  Christ."  —  2  Corinthians  i.  5. 

J)E11E  is  a  blessed  proportion.  The  Ruler  of  providenct 
%j  bears  a  pair  of  scales  —  in  this  side  He  puts  His  peo 
pie's  trials,  and  in  that  He  puts  their  consolations 
When  the  scale  of  trial  is  nearly  empty,  you  will  always  find 
the  scale  of  consolation  in  nearly  the  s'lme  condition ;  and 
when  the  scale  of  trials  is  full,  you  will  find  the  scale  of  con^ 
eolation  just  as  heavy.  When  the  black  clouds  gather  most, 
the  light  is  the  more  brightly  revealed  to  us.  When  the  night 
lowers  and  the  tempest  is  coming  on,  the  Heavenly  Captain  is 
always  closest  to  His  crew.  It  is  a  blessed  thing,  that  when 
we  are  most  cast  down,  then  it  h  that  we  are  most  lifted  up  by 
the  consolations  of  the  Spirit.  One  reason  is,  because  triah 
make  more  room  for  consolation .  Great  hearts  can  only  be  made 
by  great  troubles.  The  sparse  of  trouble  digs  the  reservoir  of 
comfort  deeper,  and  makes  more  room  for  consolation.  God 
t  omes  into  our  heart  —  Ho  finds  it  full  —  He  begins  to  break 
our  comforts  and  to  make  it  empty;  then  there  is  more  roou. 
for  grace.  The  humbler  a  man  lies,  the  more  comfort  he  will 
always  have,  becanso  he  will  be  more  fitted  to  receive  it.  An- 
other reason  why  we  are  often  most  happy  in  our  troubles,  is 
this  —  then  we  have  the  closest  dealings  with  God.  When  the 
barn  is  full,  man  can  live  without  God :  when  the  purse  is  burst- 
ing with  gold,  we  try  to  do  without  so  much  prayer.  But  once 
take  our  gourds  away,  and  wr  want  our  God;  once  cleanse  the 
idols  ^ut  of  the  house,  then  we  are  compelled  to  honor  Je- 
hovah. "  Out  of  the  depths  have  I  cried  unto  Thee,  0  Lord." 
There  is  no  cry  so  good  as  that  which  comes  from  the  bottom 
of  the  mountains;  no  prayer  half  so  hearty  as  that  which  comes 
up  from  the  depths  of  the  soul,  through  deep  trials  and  afflic- 
tions. Hence  they  bring  us  to  God,  and  we  are  happier ;  fof 
nearness  to  God  i.s  happiness.  Come,  troubled  believer,  fret 
not  over  your  heavy  troubles,  for  they  are  the  heralda  of 
weigii*/  jrercies. 


44  DAILY    HEADINGS.  Feb.   12. 


'Behold,  tchat  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us, 
that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of  God:  therefore  the  world 
knoweth  us  not,  because  it  knew  Him  not.  Beloved,  now  are 
we  the  sons  of  God." — 1  John  Hi.  1,  2. 


1^6EH0LD,  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  be- 
1^  stowed  upon  us.  Consider  who  we  were,  and  what 
we  feel  ourselves  to  be  even  now  when  corruption  is 
powerful  in  us,  and  you  will  wonder  at  our  adoption.  Yet  ive 
are  called  "  the  sons  of  God.''  What  a  high  relationship  is  that 
of  a  son,  and  what  privileges  it  brings  !  What  care  and  ten- 
derness the  son  expects  from  his  father,  and  what  love  the  fa- 
ther feels  towards  the  son  !  But  all  that,  and  more  than  that, 
wc  now  have  through  Christ.  As  for  the  temporary  drawback 
of  suflfering  with  the  elder  brother,  this  we  accept  as  an  honor  : 
"  Therefore  the  world  knoweth  us  not,  because  it  knew  Him 
not."  We  are  content  to  be  unknown  with  Him  in  His  hu- 
miliation, for  we  are  to  be  exalted  with  Him.  '■'■Beloved,  now 
are  we  the  sons  of  God."  That  is  easy  to  read,  but  it  is  not 
so  easy  to  feel.  How  is  it  with  your  heart  this  morning  ?  Are 
you  in  the  lowest  depths  of  sorrow  ?  Does  corruption  rise 
within  your  spirit,  and  grace  seem  like  a  poor  spark  trampled 
under  foot  ?  Does  your  faith  almost  fail  you  ?  Fear  not,  it 
is  neither  your  graces  nor  feelings  on  which  you  are  to  live : 
you  must  live  simply  by  faith  on  Christ.  With  all  these 
things  against  us,  now  —  in  the  very  depths  of  our  sorrow, 
wherever  we  may  be  — noiu,  as  much  in  the  valley  as  on  the 
mountain,  "  Beloved,  now  are  we  the  sons  of  God."  "  Ah, 
but,"  you  say,  "  see  how  I  am  arrayed !  my  graces  are  not 
bright ;  my  righteousness  does  not  shine  with  apparent  glory." 
But  read  the  next :  "7f  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be  : 
hut  we  know  that,  tvhen  He  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like  Him." 
The  Holy  Spirit  shall  purify  our  minds,  and  divine  power 
shall  refine  our  bodies  ;  then  shall  we  see  Him  as  He  it. 


Feb.  14.  DAIXT  REXDIXGS.  4 J 


"And  his  allowance  teas  a  continual  allowance  given  him  of  t?U 

king,  a  daily  rate  fur  every  day,  all  the  days  of  his  life." 

2  Kings  XXV.  30. 

2;EH0IACHIM  was  not  sent  away  from  the  king's  pal- 
>]  ace  with  a  store  to  last  him  for  months,  but  his  pro- 
-^  vision  was  given  him  as  a  daily  pension.  Herein  he 
well  pictures  the  happy  position  of  all  the  Lord's  people.  A 
daily  portion  is  all  that  a  man  really  xoants.  We  do  not  need 
to-morrow's  supplies  —  that  day  has  not  yet  dawned,  and  its 
wants  are  as  yet  unborn.  The  thirst  which  we  may  suffer  in 
the  month  of  June  does  not  need  to  be  quenched  in  Febni- 
ary,  for  we  do  not  feel  it  yet ;  if  we  have  enough  for  each 
day  as  the  days  arrive  we  shall  never  know  want.  Sufficient. 
for  the  day  is  all  that  we  can  enjoy.  We  cannot  eat  or  drink 
or  wear  more  than  the  day's  supply  of  food  and  raiment ;  the 
surplus  gives  us  the  care  of  storing  it,  and  the  anxiety  of 
watching  against  a  thief.  One  staff  aids  a  traveller,  but  a 
bundle  of  staves  is  a  heavy  burden.  Enough  is  not  only  as 
good  as  a  feast,  but  is  all  that  the  veriest  glutton  can  truly 
enjoy.  This  is  all  that  tee  should  expect ;  a  craving  for  more 
than  this  is  ungrateful.  When  our  Father  does  not  give  us 
more,  we  should  be  content  with  his  daily  allowance.  Je- 
hoiachim's  case  is  ours ;  we  hav^  a  sure  portion,  a  portion 
given  us  of  the  king,  a  gracious  portion,  and  di,  perpetual  por- 
tion.    Here  is  surely  ground  for  thankfulness. 

Beloved  Christian  reader,  in  matters  of  grace  you  need  a 
daily  supply.  Yiu  have  no  store  of  strength.  Day  by  day 
must  you  seek  help  from  above.  It  is  a  very  sweet  assurance 
that  a  daily  portion  is  provided  for  you.  In  the  word,  through 
the  ministry,  by  meditation,  in  prayer,  and  waiting  upon  God 
fou  shall  receive  renewed  strength.  In  Jesus  all  needful 
things  are  laid  up  for  you.  Then  enjoy  your  continual  allow- 
ance. Never  go  hungry  while  the  daily  bread  of  grace  is  ou 
ihe  table  of  oiercy. 


46  ©AILY   HEADINGS.  Feb    15. 

"  To  Him  he  glory  both  now  and  forever."  —  2  Peter  iii.  18. 

^J^E AVEN  will  be  full  of  the  ceaseless  praises  of  Jtsus. 
^'i  Eternity  !  thine  unnumbered  years  shall  speed  «heir 
everlasting  course,  but  forever  and  forever,  "  to  Hira 
DC  glory."  Is  He  not  a  "  Priest  forever,  after  the  order  of 
Melchisedek  ?  "  "  To  Him  be  glory."  Is  He  not  King  for- 
ever ? —  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  the  everlai  dng 
Father  ?  "  To  Him  be  glory  forever.'"  Never  shall  Fis 
praises  cease.  That  which  was  bought  with  blood  des^rv^s 
to  last  while  immortality  endures.  The  glory  of  the  cross 
must  never  be  eclipsed ;  the  lustre  of  the  grave  and  of  the 
resurrection  must  never  be  dimmed.  0  Jesus  !  thou  shalt 
be  praised  forever.  Long  as  immortal  sj^irits  live  —long  as 
the  Father's  throne  endures  —  forever,  forever,  unto  Thee 
shall  be  glory.  Believer,  you  are  anticipating  the  time  whep 
you  shall  join  the  saints  above  in  ascribing  all  glory  to  Jesus  ; 
but  are  you  glorifying  Him  noiu  9  The  apostle's  words  are, 
"  To  Him  be  glory  both  noio  and  forever."  Will  you  not  this 
day  make  it  your  prayer  ?  "  Lord,  help  me  to  glorify  Thee. 
I  am  poor ;  help  me  to  glorify  Thee  by  contentment.  I  am 
sick  ;  help  me  to  give  Thee  honor  by  patience.  I  have  talents ; 
help  me  to  extol  Thee  by  spending  them  for  Thee.  I  have 
time  ;  Lord,  help  me  to  redeem  it,  that  I  may  serve  Thee.  I 
have  a  heart  to  feel ;  Lord,  let  that  heart  feel  no  love  but 
Thine,  and  glow  with  no  flame  but  affection  for  Thee.  I  have 
a  head  to  think  ;  Lord,  help  me  to  think  of  Thee  and/or  Thee. 
Thou  hast  put  me  in  this  world  for  something ;  Lord,  show  me 
what  that  is,  and  help  me  to  work  out  my  life-purpose.  I 
cannot  do  much ;  but  as  the  widow  put  in  her  two  mites, 
which  were  all  her  living,  so.  Lord,  I  cast  my  time  and  eter- 
nity too  into  Thy  treasury.  I  am  all  Thine ;  take  me,  and 
enable  me  to  glorify  Thee  now,  in  all  that  I  say,  in  all  thai 
I  do,  and  with  all  that  I  have." 


Feb.   16.  DAILY   HEADINGS.  47 

"7  have  learned,  in  whatsoever  stale  I  am,  therewith  to  be  content." 
Philippians  iv.  11. 

^**i*^jHESE  words  show  us  that  coutentmcnt  is  not  a  natural 
v'LL-jy  propensity  of  man.  "Ill  weeds  grow  apace."  Gov* 
^***'^  etousness,  discontent,  and  murmuring,  are.  as  natural 
to  man  as  thorns  are  to  the  soil.  We  need  not  sow  thistles  and 
brambles ;  they  come  up  naturally  enough,  because  they  are 
indigenous  to  earth  :  and  so,  we  need  not  leach  men  to  com- 
plain ;  they  complain  fast  enough  without  any  education.  But 
the  precious  things  of  the  earth  must  be  cultivated.  If  we 
would  have  wheat,  we  must  plough  and  sow ;  if  we  want  flowers, 
there  must  be  the  garden,  and  all  the  gardener's  care.  Now, 
contentment  is  one  of  the  flowers  of  heaven,  and  if  we  would 
have  it,  it  must  be  cultivated ;  it  will  not  grow  in  us  by  na- 
ture ;  it  is  the  new  nature  alone  that  can  produce  it,  and  evec 
then  we  must  be  specially  careful  and  watchful  that  we  main- 
tain and  cultivate  the  grace  which  God  has  sown  in  us.  Paxil 
gays,  "  I  have  learned  .  .  to  be  content ;  "  as  much  as  to 
say,  he  did  not  know  how  at  one  time.  It  cost  him  some  pains 
to  attain  to  the  mystery  of  that  great  truth.  No  doubt  he 
sometimes  thought  he  had  learned,  and  then  broke  down. 
And  when  at  last  he  had  attained  unto  it,  and  could  say,  "  1 
have  learned,  in  whatsoever  state  I  am,  therewith  to  be  con- 
tent," he  was  an  old,  gray-headed  man,  upon  the  borders  of 
the  grave  —  a  poor  prisoner  shut  up  in  Nero's  dungeon  at 
Rome.  We  might  well  be  willing  to  endure  Paul's  infirmities, 
and  share  the  cold  dungeon  with  him,  if  we  too  might  by 
any  means  attain  unto  his  good  degree.  Do  not  indulge'  the 
notion  that  you  can  be  contented  without  learning,  or  learn 
without  discipline.  It  is  not  a  power  that  may  bu  exercised 
naturally,  but  a  science  to  be  ajquired  gradually.  We  know 
this  fro«j  experience.  Brother,  hush  that  murn  ux,  natural 
though  it  be,  and  continue  a  diligent  pupil  in  thf  'Allege  of 
Content. 


48  DAILY   HEADINGS,  !^eb»  \t. 

"Isaac  dwelt  by  the  well  LaJiai-roi."  —  Genesis  xxv.   11. 

^lAGrAR  had  once  found  deliverance  there,  and  [shmael 
k'j  had  drank  from  the  water  so  graciously  revealed  bj 
the  God  who  liveth  and  soeth  tl  e  sons  of  men ;  but 
this  was  a-merely  casual  visit,  such  as  worldlings  pay  to  the 
Lord  in  times  of  need,  when  it  serves  their  turn.  They  cry 
to  Him  in  trouble,  but  forsake  Him  in  prosperity.  Isaac 
dwelt  there,  and  made  the  well  of  the  living  and  all-seeing 
God  his  constant  source  of  supply.  The  usual  tenor  of  a 
man's  life,  the  dwelling  of  his  soul,  is  the  true  test  of  his 
state.  Perhaps  the  providential  visitation  experienced  by 
Hagar  struck  Isaac's  mind,  and  led  him  to  revere  the  place ; 
its  mystical  name  endeared  it  to  him  ;  his  frequent  musings 
by  its  brim  at  eventide  made  him  familiar  with  the  well ;  his 
meeting  Rebecca  there  had  made  his  spirit  feel  at  home  near 
the  spot ;  but  best  of  all,  the  fact  that  he  there  enjoyed  fel- 
lowship with  the  living  God,  had  made  him  select  that  hal- 
lowed ground  for  his  dwelling.  Let  us  learn  to  live  in  the 
presence  of  the  living  God ;  let  us  pray  the  Holy  Spirit  that 
this  day,  and  every  other  day,  we  may  feel,  "  Thou  God 
seest  me,"  May  the  Lord  Jehovah  be  as  a  well  to  us,  de- 
lightful, comforting,  unfailing,  springing  up  unto  eternal  life. 
The  bottle  of  the  creature  cracks  and  dries  up,  but  the  well  of 
the  Creator  never  fails ;  happy  is  he  who  dwells  at  the  well, 
and  so  has  abundant  and  constant  supplies  near  at  hand.  The 
Lord  has  been  a  sure  helper  to  others  :  His  name  is  Shaddai, 
G  od  All-sufficient ;  our  hearts  have  often  had  most  delightful 
intercourse  with  Him ;  through  Him  our  soul  has  found  her 
glorious  Husband,  the  Lord  Jesus  ;  and  in  Him  this  day  we 
live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being  ;  let  us,  then,  dwell  in 
closest  fellowship  with  Him.  Glorious  Lord,  constrain  ua 
that  we  ma}-  never  leave  Thee,  but  dwell  by  the  well  of  the 
living  God. 


\^eh.  18.  DAtLV  llEADtNOS.  49 

"Show  me  tcherefore  thoti  contendcst  with  me.''  —  Job  x.  2. 

^ERHAPS,  0  tried  soul,  the  Lord  is  doing  this  to 
||  develop  thy  graces.  There  are  some  of  thy  graces 
which  would  never  be  discovered  if  it  were  not  for 
thy  trials.  Dost  thou  not  know  that  thy  faith  never  looks 
BO  grand  in  summer  weather  as  it  does  in  winter  ?  Love  is 
tio  often  like  a  glow-worm,  showing  but  little  light  except 
it  be  in  the  midst  of  surrounding  darkness.  Hope  itself  is 
like  a  star  —  not  to  be  seen  in  the  sunshine  of  prosperity, 
and  only  to  be  discovered  in  the  night  of  adversity.  Afflic- 
tions are  often  the  black  foils  in  which  God  doth  set  the 
jewels  of  His  children's  graces,  to  make  them  shine  the  better. 
It  was  but  a  little  while  ago  that,  on  thy  knees,  thou  wast 
saying,  "  Lord,  I  fear  I  have  no  faith  :  let  me  know  that  I 
have  faith."  Was  not  this  really,  though  perhaps  uncon- 
sciously, praying  for  trials  ?  —  for  how  canst  thou  know  that 
thou  hast  faith  until  thy  faith  is  exercised  ?  Depend  upon  it, 
God  often  sends  us  trials  that  our  graces  may  h-e  discovered, 
and  that  we  may  be  certified  of  their  existence.  Besides,  it 
is  not  merely  discovery ;  real  growth  in  grace  is  the  result  of 
sanctified  trials.  God  often  takes  away  our  comforts  and  our 
privileges  in  order  to  make  us  better  Christians.  He  trains 
His  soldiers,  not  in  tents  of  ease  and  luxury,  but  by  turning 
them  out  and  using  them  to  forced  marches  and  hard  service. 
He  makes  them  ford  through  streams,  and  swim  through  rivers, 
and  climb  mountains,  and  walk  many  a  long  mile  with  heavy 
knapsacks  of  sorrow  on  their  backs.  Well,  Christian,  may 
not  this  account  for  the  troubles  through  which  thou  art  passing  ? 
Is  not  the  Lord  bringing  out  your  graces,  and  making  them 
grow  ?   Is  not  this  the  reason  why  He  is  contending  with  you  ? 

"  Trials  make  the  promise  sweet ; 
Trials  give  new  life  to  prayer  ; 
Trials  bring  me  to  His  feet, 

Lay  me  low,  and  keep  me  there," 

5 


5d  DAILY    READINGS.  jPeb.    .I>. 


"  llms  saitJi  the  Lord  God:  I  icill  yet  for  this  be  inquired  of  by 
the  house  of  Israel,  to  do  it  for  themy — Ezek.  xxxvi.  37. 

^RAYER  is  the  forerunner  of  mercy.  Turn  to  sacred 
history,  and  you  will  find  that  scarcely  ever  did  a 
great  mercy  come  to  this  world  unheralded  by  sup- 
plication. You  have  found  this  true  in  your  own  personal 
experience.  God  has  given  you  many  an  unsolicited  favor, 
but  still  great  prayer  has  always  been  the  prelude  of  great 
Tuercy  with  you.  When  you  first  found  peace  through  the 
blood  of  the  cross,  you  had  been  praying  much,  and  earnestly 
interceding  with  God  that  He  would  remove  your  doubts,  and 
deliver  you  from  your  distresses.  Your  assurance  was  the  re- 
sult of  prayer.  When  at  any  time  you  have  had  high  and  rap- 
turous joys,  you  have  been  obliged  to  look  upon  them  as  an- 
swers to  your  prayers.  When  you  have  had  great  deliverances 
out  of  sore  troubles,  and  mighty  helps  in  great  dangers,  you 
have  been  able  to  say,  "  I  sought  the  Lord,  and  He  heard  me, 
and  delivered  me  from  all  my  fear's."  Prayer  is  always  the 
preface  to  blessing.  It  goes  before  the  blessing  as  the  blessing's 
shadow.  When  the  sunlight  of  God's  mercies  rises  upon  our 
necessities,  it  casts  the  shadow  of  prayer  far  down  upon  the 
plain.  Or,  to  use  another  illustration,  when  God  piles  up  a 
hill  of  mercies.  He  Himself  shines  behind  them,  and  He  casts 
on  our  spirits  the  shadow  of  prayer,  so  that  we  may  rest  cer- 
tain, if  we  are  much  in  prayer,  our  pleadings  are  the  shadows  of 
mercy.  Prayer  is  thus  connected  with  the  blessing  to  show  us 
the  value  of  it.  If  we  had  the  blessings  without  asking  for 
them,  we  should  think  them  common  things  ;  but  prayer  makes 
our  mercies  more  precious  than  diamonds.  The  things  we  ask 
for  are  precious,  but  we  do  not  realize  their  preciousness  until 
W2  have  sought  for  them  earnestly. 

"  Prayer  makes  the  darkened  cloud  withdraw; 

Praj'er  climbs  the  ladder  Jacob  saw; 

Gives  exercise  to  faith  and  love  ; 

Brings  every  blessing  from  above." 


Feb.  20.  bAILY    READINGS.  51 

"  Ood,  that  comforteth  those  that  are  cast  down."  —  2  Cor.  vii.  6. 

■^ND  who  comforteth  like  Him  ?  Go  to  some  poor, 
I  ^^  melancholy,  distressed  child  of  God  :  tell  him  sweet 
promises,  and  whisper  in  his  ear  choice  words  of  com- 
fort :  he  is  like  the  deaf  adder  ;  lie  listens  not  to  the  voice  of 
the  charmer,  charm  he  never  so  wisely.  lie  is  drinking  gall 
and  wormwood,  and  comfort  him  as  you  may,  it  will  be  only 
a  note  or  two  of  mournful  resignation  that  you  will  get  from 
him  ;  you  will  bring  forth  no  psalms  of  praise,  no  hallclujalis, 
no  joyful  sonnets.  But  let  God  come  to  His  child,  let  Hin 
lift  up  his  countenance,  and  the  mourner's  eyes  glisten  with 
hope.     Do  you  not  hear  him  sing  — 

"  'Tis  paradise,  if  Thou  art  here  ; 
If  Thou  depart,  'tis  hell"  ? 

You  could  not  have  cheered  him  :  but  the  Lord  has  done  it; 
"  He  is  the  God  of  all  comfort."  There  is  no  balm  in  Gilead, 
but  there  is  balm  in  God.  There  is  no  physician  among  the 
creatures,  but  the  Creator  is  Johovaa-roplii.  It  is  marvel- 
lous how  one  sweet  word  of  God  will  make  whole  songs  for 
Christians.  One  word  of  God  is  like  a  piece  of  gold,  and 
the  Christian  is  the  goldbeater,  and  can  hammer  that  promise 
out  for  whole  weeks.  So,  then,  poor  Christian,  thou  needest 
not  sit  down  in  despair.  Go  to  the  Comforter,  and  ask  Him 
to  give  thee  consolation.  Thou  art  a  poor  dry  well.  You 
have  heard  it  said,  that  when  a  pump  is  dry,  you  must  pour 
water  down  it  first  of  all,  and  then  you  will  get  water ;  and 
so.  Christian,  when  thou  art  dry,  go  to  God,  ask  Him  to  shed 
abroad  His  joy  in  thy  heart,  and  then  thy  joy  shall  be  full. 
Do  not  go  to  earthly  acquaintances,  for  you  will  find  them 
Job's  comforters  after  all;  but  go  first  and  foremost  to  thy 
"  God,  that  comforteth  those  that  are  cast  down,"  and  you 
will  soon  say,  "  In  the  multitude  of  my  thoughts  within  m* 
Thy  comforts  delight  my  soul." 


59  DAILY    READINGS.  Feb.  21. 


"He  hath  said."  —  Hebrews  xiii.  5. 

^^F  we  can  only  grasp  these  words  by  faith,  we  have  an 
^  all-conquering  weapon  in  our  hand.  What  doubt  will 
.not  be  slain  by  this  two-edged  sword?  What  fear 
is  there  which  shall  not  fall  smitten  with  a  deadly  wound  be- 
fore this  arrow  from  the  bow  of  God's  covenant  ?  W  ill  not 
the  distresses  of  life,  and  the  pangs  of  death ;  will  not  the 
corruptions  within,  and  the  snares  without ;  will  not  the  trials 
from  above,  and  the  temptations  from  beneath,  all  seem  but 
jght  afflictions,  when  we  can  hide  ourselves  beneath  the  bul- 
wark of  "  He  hath  said  "  ?  Yes  ;  whether  for  delight  in  our 
quietude,  or  for  strength  in  our  conflict,  "He  hath  said" 
must  be  our  daily  resort.  And  this  may  teach  us  the  ex- 
treme value  of  searcliing  the  Scriptures.  There  may  be  a 
promise  in  the  Word  which  would  exactly  fit  your  case,  but 
you  may  not  know  of  it,  and  therefore  you  miss  its  comfort.  ■ 
You  are  like  prisoners  in  a  dungeon,  and  there  may  be  one 
key  in  the  bunch  which  would  unlock  the  door,  and  you 
might  be  free  ;  but  if  you  will  not  look  for  it,  you  may  remain 
a  prisoner  still,  though  liberty  is  so  near  at  hand.  There 
may  be  a  potent  medicine  in  the  great  pharmacopoeia  of 
Scripture,  and  you  may  yet  continue  sick  unless  you  will  ex- 
amine and  search  the  Scriptures  to  discover  what  "  He  hath 
said."  Should  you  not,  besides  reading  the  Bible,  store  your 
memories  richly  with  the  promises  of  God  ?  You  can  recol- 
lect the  sayings  of  great  men  ;  you  treasure  up  the  vei  ses  of 
renowned  poets ;  ought  you  not  to  be  profound  in  your 
knowledge  of  the  words  of  God,  so  that  you  may  be  able  to 
quote  them  readily  when  you  would  solve  a  difficulty,  or  over- 
throw a  doubt:  Since  "  He  hath  said,"  is  the  source  of  all 
wisdom,  and  the  fountain  of  all  comfort,  let  it  dwell  in  you 
richly  as  "  a  well  of  water,  springing  up  into  everlasting 
life."  So  shall  you  grow  healthy,  strong,  and  happy  in  th« 
divine  life. 


Feb.  2^.  T>A1T.Y    KEADiNGS.  5S 


**  Ilis  bow  abode  in  str^nfn^,  and  the  amis  of  his  hands  were  made 
atrong  by  the  haiu^-f  oj  the  vii<(hty  God  of  Jacob." — Gen.  xlix.  24. 

'^HAT  strcn/rth  which  God  gives  to  His  Josephs  is 

f(!v  rea/ strength  •  ^t  is  not  a  boasted  valor,  a  ^.ction,  a 
thing  of  Tf'hith  men  talk,  but  which  ends  in  smoke  ;  it 
is  irue  —  divint  strength.  Why  does  Joseph  stand  against 
temptation  ?  Because  God  gi\cs  him  aid.  There  is  nought 
that  we  can  do  without  the  power  of  God.  All  true  strength 
comes  from  "  the  mighty  God  of  Jacob."  Notice  in  what  a 
blessedly  familiar  tvay  God  gives  this  strength  to  Joseph  — 
"  The  arm?  of  his  hands  were  made  strong  by  the  hands  of  the 
mighty  God  of  Jacob."  Thus  God  is  represented  as  putting 
His  hands  on  Joseph's  hands,  placing  His  arms  on  Joseph's 
arms.  Like  as  a  father  teaches  his  children,  so  the  Lord 
teaches  them  that  fear  Plim.  He  pui3  Hi  5  arms  upon  them. 
Marvellous  condescension  !  God  Al;:<iigiiiy,  Eternal,  Omnipo- 
tent, stoops  from  His  throne  and  ^ays  His  hand  upon  the 
child's  hand,  stretching  His  arm  upon  tho  a.*m  of  Joseph,  that 
he  may  be  made  strong !  This  strength  was  also  covenant 
strength,  for  it  is  ascribed  to  "  the  mightj  Ood  of  Jacob." 
Now,  wherever  you  read  of  the  God  of  Jacob  in  the  Bible,  you 
should  remember  the  covenant  with  Jacob.  Chrisiians  love 
to  think  of  God's  covenant.  All  the  power,  all  th«  giace,  all 
the  blessings,  all  the  mercies,  all  the  comforts,  aU  the  things 
we  have,  flow  to  us  from  the  well-head,  through  the  cnv<2aant. 
If  there  were  no  covenant,  then  we  shoidd  fail  indeed;  lor 
all  grace  proceeds  from  it,  as  light  and  heat  from  the  sur.. 
No  angels  ascend  or  descend,  save  upon  that  ladder  whic^ 
Jacob  saw,  at  the  top  of  which  stood  a  covenant  God 
Christian,  it  may  be  that  the  archers  have  sorely  grieved  you 
and  shot  at  you,  and  wounded  you,  but  still  your  bow  abidoi 
in  strength  ;  be  sure,  then,  to  ascribe  all  the  glory  to  Jacob'i 
God. 


S4  bAiJLY    HEADINGS.  Feb.  2^. 

"  /  will  never  leave  thee."  —  Hebrews  xiii.  5. 

^0  promise  is  of  private  interpretation.  Whatever 
God  has  said  to  any  one  saint,  He  has  said  to  all. 
When  He  opens  a  well  for  one,  it  is  that  all  maj 
drink.  When  He  openeth  a  granary-door  to  give  out  food, 
there  may  be  some  one  starving  man  who  is  the  occasion  of 
hs  being  opened,  but  all  hungry  saints  may  come  and  feed 
too.  Whether  He  gave  the  word  to  Abraham  or  to  Moses, 
matters  not,  0  believer ;  He  has  given  it  to  thee  as  one  of 
the  covenanted  seed.  There  is  not  a  high  blessing  too 
lofty  for  thee,  nor  a  wide  mercy  too  extensive  for  thee. 
Lift  up  now  thine  eyes  to  the  north  and  to  the  south,  to  the 
east  and  to  the  west,  for  all  this  is  thine.  Climb  to  Pisgah's 
top.  and  view  the  utmost  limit  of  the  divine  promise,  for  the 
land  is  all  thine  own.  There  is  not  a  brook  of  living  water 
of  which  thou  mayst  not  drink.  If  the  land  floweth  with 
milk  and  honey,  eat  the  honey  and  drink  the  milk,  for  both 
are  thine.  Be  thou  bold  to  believe,  for  He  hath  said,  "  I 
will  never  leave  thee,  nor  forsake  i/ise."  '  In  this  promise, 
God  gives  to  His  people  everything,  "/will  never  leave  thee." 
Then  no  attribute  of  God  can  cease  to  be  engaged  for  us.  Is 
He  mighty  ?  He  will  show  Himself  strong  on  the  behalf  of 
them  that  trust  Ilim.  Is  He  love  ?  Then  with  loving  kind- 
ness wi)l  He  have  mercy  upon  us.  Whatever  attributes  may 
compnr.e  the  cJiai'aoter  of  Deity,  every  one  of  them  to  ita 
fuJJost  extent  shall  be  engaged  on  our  side.  To  put  every- 
thi'jg  in  one,  there  is  nothing  you  can  want,  there  is  nothing 
you  can  ask  for,  tli<n-e  is  nothing  you  can  need  in  time  or  in 
etoraity,  there  is  nothing  living,  nothing  dying,  there  is  noth- 
ing in  this  world,  nothing  in  the  next  world,  there  is  noth- 
ing now,  nothing  at  the  resurrection-morning,  nothing  ic 
heaven  which  is  not  contained  in  this  text  —  "  I  will  nevej 
ieave  thee,  nor  forsake  thee.*^' 


h'eh.  24.  DAli.v  tir-AMNt**.  if 


"  I  will  cause  the  shower  (<>  come  dovm  in  his  spascn-  there  ahaV 
he  showers  of  blc.ssiii;/." —  Ezekiel  xxxiv.  2P 

^'^'EKE  is  sovereign  mercy  —  "I  will  give  them  tb© 
8ho\vcr  in  its  season."  Is  it  not  sovereign,  divine 
mercy  ? — for  who  can  say, "  I  will  give  them  showers," 
except  God  ?  There  is  only  one  voice  which  can  speak  to  the 
clouds,  and  bid  them  beget  the  rain.  Who  sendeth  down  the 
rain  upon  the  earth  ?  Who  scattereth  the  showers  upon  the 
green  herb  ?  Do  not  T,  the  Lord  ?  So  grace  is  the  gift  of 
God,  and  is  not  to  be  created  by  man.  It  is  also  needed 
grace.  What  would  the  ground  do  without  showers  ?  You 
may  break  the  clods,  you  may  sow  30ur  seeds,  but  what  can 
you  do  without  the  rain  ?  As  absolutely  needful  is  the  divin* 
blessing.  In  vain  you  labor,  until  God  the  plenteous  showej 
bestows,  and  sends  salvation  down.  Then,  it  is  plenteous  grace 
"  I  will  send  them  showers."  It  does  not  say,  "  I  will  send 
them  drops,"  but  "  showers."  So  it  is  with  grace.  If  God 
gives  a  blessing.  He  usually  gives  it  in  such  a  measure  that 
there  is  not  room  enough  to  receive  it.  Plenteous  grace  ! 
Ah  I  we  want  plenteous  grace  to  keep  us  humble,  to  make  us 
prayerful,  to  make  ns  holy  ;  plenteous  grace  to  make  us  zeal- 
ous, to  preserve  us  through  this  life,  and  at  last  to  land  us  in 
heaven.  We  cannot  do  without  saturating  showers  of  grace. 
Again,  it  is  seasonable  grace.  "  I  will  cause  the  shower  to  come 
down  in  his  season.''  AVhat  is  thy  season  this  morning  ?  Is  it 
the  season  of  drought  ?  Then  that  is  the  seaiwu  for  showers. 
Is  H  a  season  of  great  heaviness  and  black  clouds  ?  Then  that 
is  the  season  for  showers.  "  As  thy  day,  so  shall  thy  strength 
be."  And  here  is  a  varied  blessing.  "  I  will  give  thee  showers 
of  blessing."  Tbe  word  is  in  the  plural.  All  kinds  of  blessingiJ 
God  will  send.  All  God's  blessings  go  together,  like  links  in 
a  golden  chain.  If  He  gives  converting  grace,  He  will  also 
give  comforbing  grace.  He  will  send  "  showers  of  blessing." 
Look  up  to-day,  0  parched  plant,  and  open  thy  leaves  and 
flowers  for  a  heavenly  watering. 


56  t>AtL^  kEAbiKGi^.  V>ib.  25. 

"  The  wrath  to  come." — Matthew  iii.  7. 

'X^T  is  pleasant  to  pass  over  a  country  after  a  siarm  has 
spent  itself;  to  smell  the  freshness  of  the  herbs  after 
the  rain  has  passed  away,  and  to  note  the  drcps  while 
they  glisten  like  purest  diamonds  in  the  sunlight.  That  :s  Ihe 
position  of  a  Christian.  He  is  going  through  a  land  v.here 
the  storm  has  spent  itself  upon  his  Saviour's  head,  v^d  if 
there  be  a  few  drops  of  sorrow  falling,  they  distil  fro'..^  clouds 
of  mercy,  and  Jesus  cheers  him  by  the  assurance  thai  ihey  are 
not  for  his  destruction.  But  how  terrible  is  it  to  wicnes?  the 
approach  of  a  tempest ;  to  note  the  forewarnings  of  t/ie  storii ; 
to  mark  the  birds  of  heaven  as  they  droop  their  wings  ;  to  see 
the  cattle  as  they  lay  their  heads  low  in  terror  ;  to  t  iscern  the 
face  of  the  sky  as  it  groweth  black,  and  look  to  the  sun  which 
shineth  not,  and  the  heavens  which  are  angry  and  frowning  ! 
How  terrible  to  await  the  dread  advance  of  a  hurries  ne  —  such 
as  occurs,  sometimes,  in  the  tropics  —  to  wait  in  terrible  ap  • 
prehension  till  the  wind  shall  rush  forth  in  fury,  tearing  up 
trees  from  their  roots,  forcing  rocks  from  their  pedestals,  and 
hurling  down  all  the  dwelling-places  of  man !  And  yet,  sin- 
ner, this  is  your  present  position.  No  hot  drops  have  as  yet 
fallen,  but  a  shower  of  fire  is  coming.  No  terrible  winds 
howl  around  you,  but  God's  tempest  is  gathering  its  dread 
artillery.  As  yet  the  water-floocfe  are  dammed  up  by  mercy, 
but  the  flood-gates  shall  soon  be  opened ;  the  thunderbolts 
of  God  are  yet  in  His  storehouse,  but  lo  !  the  tempest  hastens, 
and  how  awful  shall  that  moment  be  when  God,  robed  in 
vengeance,  shall  march  forth  in  fury  !  Where,  where,  where, 
0  sinner,  wilt  thou  hide  thy  head,  or  whither  wilt  thou  flee  ? 
0  that  the  hand  of  mercy  may  now  lead  you  to  Christ !  He 
is  freely  sot  before  you  in  the  gospel :  His  riven  side  is  the 
rock  of  shelter.  Thou  knowest  thy  need  of  Him  ;  believe  in 
Him,  east  thyself  upon  Him,  and  then  the  fury  shall  be  over* 
past  forever. 


feh.  26  DAILY  READli*08.  It 

"Salvatioii  is  of  the  Lord."  —  Jonah  ii.  9. 


R^iiif^ALVATION  is  the  work  of  God.  Ii  is  He  alone  who 
^i^lj!^  quickens  the  soul  "  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,"  and 
**^-^  it  is  He  also  who  maintains  the  soul  in  its  spiritual 
life.  He  is  both  "Alpha  and  Omega."  "  Salvation  is  of  the 
Lord."  If  I  am  prayerful,  God  makes  me  prayerful;  if  I 
have  graces,  they  are  God's  gift  to  me  ;  if  1  hold  on  in  a  con- 
eistwit  life,  it  is  because  He  upholds  me  with  His  hand.  I  do 
nothing  whatever  towards  my  own  preservation,  except  what 
God  himself  first  does  in  me.  Whatever  I  have,  all  my  good- 
ness, is  of  the  Lord  alone.  Wherein  I  sin,  that  is  my  own ; 
but  wherein  T  act  rightly,  that  is  of  God,  wholly  and  com- 
pletely. If  I  have  rcpuls;ed  a  spiritual  enemy,  the  Lord's 
strength  nerved  my  arm.  Do  I  live  before  men  a  consecrated 
life  ?  It  is  not  I,  but  Christ  who  liveth  in  me.  Am  I  sanc- 
tified ?  I  did  not  cleanse  myself:  God's  Holy  Spirit  sanctifies 
me.  Am  I  weaned  from  the  world  ?  I  am  weaned  by  GocTs 
chastisements  sanctified  to  my  good.  Do  I  grow  in  knowl- 
edge ?  The  great  Instructor  teaches  me.  All  my  jewels 
were  fashioned  by  heavenly  art.  I  find  in  God  all  that  I 
want;  but  I  find  in  myself  nothing  but  sin  and  misery.  "He 
only  is  my  rock  and  my  salvation."  Do  I  feed  on  the  Word? 
That  Word  would  be  no  food  for  me  unless  the  Lord  made 
it  food  for  my  soul,  and  helped  me  to  feed  upon  it.  Do  I 
live  on  the  manna  which  comes  down  from  heaven  ?  What 
is  that  manna  but  Jesus  Christ  himself  incarnate,  whose  body 
and  whose  blood  I  eat  and  drink  ?  Am  I  continually  re- 
ceiving fresh  increase  of  strength  ?  Where  do  I  gather  my 
might  ?  My  help  cometh  from  heaven's  hills  :  without  Jesus 
I  can  do  nothing.  As  a  branch  cannot  bring  forth  fruit  ex- 
cept it  abide  in  the  vine,  no  more  can  I,  except  I  abide  in 
Him.  What  Jonah  learned  in  the  great  deep,  let  me  leanj 
this  morning  in  my  closet :  "  Salvation  is  of  the  Lord." 


58  bAiLY    READINGS.  Veh.  21 


"Thou  hast  made  the  Lord,  which  is  my  refuge,  even  the  Most 
High,  thy  habitation." — Psalm  xci.  9. 

[*«J^HE  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  ivere  continually  ex- 
}k*  2)osed  to  change.  Whenever  the  pillar  stayed  its 
motion,  the  tents  were  pitched ;  but  to-morrow,  ere 
the  morning  sun  had  risen,  the  trumpet  sounded,  the  ark 
was  in  motion,  and  the  fiery,  cloudy  pillar  was  leading  the 
way  through  the  narrow  defiles  of  the  mountain,  up  the  hill- 
side, or  along  the  arid  waste  of  the  wilderness.  They  had 
scarcely  time  to  rest  a  little  before  they  heard  the  sound  of 
"Away  !  this  is  not  your  rest ;  you  must  still  be  onward 
journeying  towards  Canaan  ! "  They  were  never  long  in 
one  place.  Even  wells  and  palm  trees  could  not  detain 
them.  Yet  they  had  an  abiding  home  in  their  God ;  His 
cloudy  prllar  was  their  roof-tree,  and  its  flame  by  night  their 
household  fire.  They  must  go  onward  from  place  to  place, 
continually  changing,  never  having  time  to  settle,  and  to 
say,  "  Now  we  are  secure ;  in  this  place  we  shall  dwell." 
"  Yet,"  says  Moses,  "  though  we  are  always  changing,  Lord, 
thou  hast  been  our  dwelling-place  throughout  all  genera- 
tions." The  Christian  knows  no  change  with  regard  to 
God.  He  may  be  rich  to-day  and  poor  to-morrow  ;  he  may 
be  sickly  to-day  and  well  to-morrow ;  he  may  be  in  happi- 
ness to-day,  to-morrow  he  may  be  distressed  —  but  there  is 
no  change  with  regard  to  his  relationship  to  God.  If  He 
loved  me  yesterday,  He  loves  me  to-day.  My  unmoving 
mansion  of  rest  is  my  blessed  Lord.  Let  prospects  be 
blighted;  let  hopes  be  blasted;  let  joy  be  withered;  let 
mildews  destroy  everything ;  I  have  lost  nothing  of  what  I 
have  in  God.  He  is  "  my  strong  habitation  whereunto  I  can 
continually  resort."  I  am  a  pilgrim  in  the  world,  but  at 
home  in  my  God.  In  the  earth  I  wander,  but  in  God  I 
dwell  in  a  quiet  habitation. 


Feb.  28.  Daily  headings.  M 

"  My  expectation  is  from  Ilim."  —  Psalm  Ixii.  5. 

^Q^'I^T  is  the  believer's  privilege  to  use  this  language.  If 
iviv^l  'i>|  he  is  looking  for  aught  from  the  world,  it  is  a  poor 
y/?»Rky  "expectation"  indeed.  But  if  he  looks  to  God  for 
the  supply  of  his  wants,  ^vhcther  in  temporal  or  spiritual 
blessings,  his  "  expectation"  will  not  be  a  vain  one.  Con- 
Btantly  he  may  draw  from  the  bank  of  faith,  and  get  his 
need  supplied  out  of  the  riches  of  God's  loving  kindness. 
This  I  know,  I  had  rather  have  God  for  my  banker  tlian  all 
the  Rothschilds.  My  Lord  never  fails  to  honor  His  promises; 
and  when  we  bring  them  to  His  throne,  He  never  sends 
them  back  unanswered.  Therefore  I  will  wait  only  at  His 
door,  for  He  ever  opens  it  with  the  hand  of  munificent  grace. 
At  this  hour  I  will  try  Him  anew.  But  we  have  "  expecta- 
tions" beyond  this  life.  We  shall  die  soon;  and  then  our 
"  expectation  is  from  Him."  Do  we  not  expect  that  when 
we  lie  upon  the  bed  of  sickness  He  will  send  angels  to  carry 
us  to  His  bosom  ?  We  believe  that  when  the  pulse  is  faint, 
and  the  heart  heaves  heavily,  some  angelic  messenger  shall 
stand  and  look  with  loving  eyes  upon  us,  and  whisper,  "  Sis- 
ter spirit,  come  away  !  "  As  we  approach  the  heavenly  gate, 
we  expect  to  hear  the  welcome  invitation,  "  Come,  ye  blessed 
of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world."  We  are  expecting  harps  of  gold 
and  crowns  of  glory  ;  we  are  hoping  soon  to  be  amongst  the 
multitude  of  shining  ones  before  the  throne  ;  we  are  looking 
forward  and  longing  for  the  time  when  we  shall  be  like  our 
glorious  Lord — for  "we  shall  see  Him  as  He  is."  Then  if 
these  be  thine  "  expectations,"  0  my  soul,  live  for  God ; 
live  with  the  desire  and  resolve  to  glorify  Him  from  whom 
Cometh  all  thy  supplies,  and  of  whose  grace  in  thy  election, 
redemption,  and  calling,  it  is  that  thou  hast  any  "  expecta. 
lion  "  of  coming  glorj. 


60  Diifi  EEADtifdS.  Feb.  2d. 

"  Wiih  loving  kindness  have  I  drawn  thee."  —  Jer,  xxxi.  3. 


fHE  thunders  of  the  law  and  the  terrors  of  judgment 
are  all  used  to  bring  us  to  Christ ;  but  the  final  vic- 
tory is  effected  by  loving  kindness.  The  prodigal  set 
out  to  his  father's  house  from  a  sense  of  need  ;  but  his  father 
gaw  him  a  great  way  off,  and  ran  to  meet  him  ;  so  that  the  last 
steps  he  took  towards  his  father's  house  were  with  the  kiss  still 
warm  upon  his  cheek,  and  the  welcome  still  musical  in  his  ears. 

"  Law  and  terrors  do  but  harden 
All  the  while  they  work  alone ; 
But  a  sense  of  blood-bought  pardon 
Will  dissolve  a  heart  of  stone." 

The  Master  came  one  night  to  the  door,  and  knocked  with 
the  iron  hand  of  the  law ;  the  door  shook  and  trembled  upon 
its  hinges  ;  but  the  man  piled  every  piece  of  furniture  which 
he  could  find  against  the  door,  for  he  said,  "  I  will  not  ad- 
mit the  man."  The  Master  turned  away,  but  by-and-by  He 
came  back,  and  with  His  own  soft  hand,  using  most  that 
part  where  the  nail  had  penetrated,  he  knocked  again  —  oh, 
so  softly  and  tenderly.  This  time  the  door  did  not  shake, 
but,  strange  to  say,  it  opened,  and  there  upon  his  knees  the 
once  unwilling  host  was  found  rejoicing  to  receive  his  guest. 
"  Come  in,  come  in ;  thou  hast  so  knocked  that  my  bowels 
are  moved  for  thee.  I  could  not  think  of  thy  pierced  hand 
leaving  its  blood-mark  on  my  door,  and  of  thy  going  away 
houseless,  '  Thy  head  filled  with  dew,  and  thy  locks  with  the 
drops  of  the  night.'  I  yield,  I  yield.  Thy  love  has  won  my 
heart."  So  in  every  case  :  loving  kindness  wins  the  day. 
What  Moses  with  the  tablets  of  stone  could  never  do,  Christ 
does  with  His  pierced  hand.  Such  is  the  doctrine  of  effectual 
calling.  Do  I  understand  it  experimentally  ?  Can  I  say,  "  He 
drew  me,  and  I  followed  on,  glad  to  confess  the  voice  divine  "  ? 
If  so,  may  He  continue  to  draw  me,  till  at  last  I  shall  sit 
down  at  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb. 


March  1.  daily  readings.  il 


'Awake,  0  north  wind;  and  come,  thou  south;  blow  upon  my  gar. 
den,  that  the  spices  thereof  may  Jlow  out."  —  Canticles  iv.  1(5. 

r^NY THING  is  better  than  the  dead  calm  of  indilfcr- 
ence.  Our  souls  may  wisely  desire  the  north  wind 
of  trouble  if  that  alone  can  be  sanctified  to  the  draw- 
ing forth  of  the  perfume  of  our  graces.  So  long  as  it  cannot 
be  said,  "  The  Lord  was  not  in  the  wind,"  we  will  not  shrink 
from  the  most  wintry  blast  that  ever  blew  upon  plants  of 
grace.  Did  not  the  s])Ouse  in  this  verse  humbly  submit  her- 
self to  the  reproofs  of  her  Beloved ;  only  entreating  Ilira  to 
send  forth  His  grace  in  some  form,  and  making  no  stipulation 
as  to  the  peculiar  manner  in  which  it  should  come  ?  Did  not 
she,  like  ourselves,  become  so  utterly  weary  of  deadness  and 
unholy  calm  that  she  sighed  for  any  visitation  which  would 
brace  her  to  action  ?  Yet  she  desires  the  warm  south  wind 
of  comfort,  too,  the  smiles  of  divine  love,  the  joy  of  the  Re- 
deemer's presence ;  these  are  often  mightily  eflfectual  to  arouse 
our  sluggish  life.  She  desires  either  one  or  the  other,  or 
both ;  so  that  she  may  but  be  able  to  delight  her  Beloved 
with  the  spices  of  her  garden.  She  cannot  endure  to  be  un- 
profitable, nor  can  we.  How  cheering  a  thought  that  Jesus 
can  find  comfort  in  our  poor  feeble  graces  !  Can  it  be  ?  It 
seems  far  too  good  to  be  true.  Well  may  we  court  trial,  or 
even  death  itself,  if  we  shall  thereby  be  aided  to  make  glad 
Inimanuel's  heart.  0  that  our  heart  were  crushed  to  atoms, 
if  only  by  such  bruising  our  sweet  Lord  Jesus  could  be  glori- 
fied !  Graces  unexercised  are  as  sweet  perfumes  slumbering 
in  the  cups  of  the  flowers  :  the  wisdom  of  the  great  Husband- 
man overrules  diverse  and  opposite  causes  to  produce  the 
one  desired  result,  and  makes  both  aflliction  and  consolation 
draw  forth  the  grateful  odors  of  faith,  love,  patience,  hope, 
resignation,  jo}',  and  the  other  fair  flowers  of  the  gardeo 
Mar  we  know  by  sweet  experience  what  this  means ! 
6 


63  DAILY  READINGS.  Marcb  3. 


"But  all  the  Israelites  ivent  down  to  the  Philistines,  to  sharpen 
evei-y  man  his  share,  and  his  colter,  and  his  axe,  and  his  mat- 
tock."—  1  Samuel  xiii.  20. 

^^[Fi|^E  are  engaged  in  a  great  war  with  the  Philistines  of 
m(}\ilj  evil.  Every  weapon  within  our  reach  must  he  used. 
^*'*^^  Preaching,  teaching,  praying,  giving,  all  must  be 
brought  into  action,  and  talents  which  have  been  thought  too 
mean  for  service  must  now  be  employed.  Colter,  and  axe, 
and  mattock,  may  all  be  useful  in  slaying  Philistines  :  rough 
tools  may  deal  hard  blows,  and  killing  need  not  be  elegantly 
done,  so  long  as  it  is  done  eiFectually.  Each  moment  of  time, 
in  season  or  out  of  season  ;  each  fragment  of  ability,  educated 
or  untutored ;  each  opportunity,  favorable  or  unfavorable, 
must  be  used,  for  our  foes  are  many  and  our  force  but  slender. 
Most  of  our  tools  want  sharpening ;  we  need  quickness  of 
perception,  tact,  energy,  promptness ;  in  a  word,  complete 
adaptation  for  the  Lord's  work.  Practical  common  sense  is 
a  very  scarce  thing  among  the  conductors  of  Christian  enter- 
prises. We  might  learn  from  our  enemies  if  we  would,  and 
so  make  the  Philistines  sharpen  our  %veapons.  This  morning 
let  us  note  enough  to  sharpen  our  zeal  during  this  day  by  the 
aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  See  the  energy  of  the  Papists,  how 
they  compass  sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte  !  are  they 
to  monopolize  all  the  earnestness  ?  Mark  the  heathen  devo- 
tees, what  tortures  they  endure  in  the  service  of  their  idols  ! 
are  they  alone  to  exhibit  patience  and  self-sacrifice  ?  Ob- 
serve the  prince  of  darkness,  how  persevering  in  his  endeav- 
ors, how  unabashed  in  his  attempts,  how  daring  in  his  plans, 
how  thoughtful  in  his  plots,  how  energetic  in  all !  The  devils 
are  united  as  one  man  in  their  infamous  rebellion,  while  we 
believers  in  Jesus  are  divided  in  our  service  of  God,  and 
scarcely  ever  work  with  unanimity.  0  that  from  Satan's 
infernal  industry  we  may  learn  to  go  about  like  good  Samari* 
tans,  seeking  whom  we  may  bless! 


March  3.  daily  niiADixcs.  69 

"  I  have  cJtosen  thee  in  the  furnace  of  affliction."  —  Is.  xlviii.  10. 

fV;pi.^pMFOET  thyself,  tried  believer,  with  this  thought: 
^1  .f  v|  God  saith,  "  I  have  chosen  thee  in  the  furnace  of 
^^^'^^  affliction."  Docs  not  the  word  come  like  a  soft 
shower,  assuaging  the  fury  of  the  flame  ?  Yea,  is  it  not  an 
asbestos  armor,  against  which  the  heat  hath  no  power  ?  Let 
affliction  come  —  God  has  chosen  me.  Poverty,  thou  mayst 
stride  in  at  my  door,  but  God  is  in  the  house  already,  and 
He  has  chosen  me.  Sickness,  thou  mayst  intrude,  but  I 
have  a  balsam  ready  —  God  has  chosen  me.  Whatever  be- 
falls me  in  this  vale  of  tears,  I  know  that  He  has  "  chosen  " 
me.  If,  believer,  thou  requirest  still  greater  comfort,  re- 
member ihat  you  have  the  Son  of  Man  with  you  in  the  furnace. 
In  that  >vilont  chamber  of  yours,  there  sittcth  by  your  side 
One  whom  thou  hast  not  seen,  but  whom  thou  lovest ;  and 
ofttimes  when  thou  knowest  it  not,  lie  makes  all  thy  bed  in 
thy  affliction,  and  smooths  thy  pillow  for  thee.  Thou  art  in 
poverty  ;  but  in  that  lonely  house  of  thine  the  Lord  of  life 
and  glory  is  a  frequent  visitor.  He  loves  to  come  into  these 
desolate  places,  that  He  may  visit  thee.  Thy  friend  stick? 
closely  to  thee.  Thou  canst  not  see  Him,  but  thou  mayst 
feel  the  pressure  of  His  hands.  Dost  thou  not  hear  Ilis 
voice  ?  Even  in  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death  He  says, 
"  Fear  not,  I  am  with  thee  ;  be  not  dismayed,  for  I  am  thy 
God."  Remember  that  noble  speech  of  Caesar  :  "  Fear  not, 
thou  carriest  Ca?sar  and  all  his  fortune."  Fear  not.  Christian; 
Jesus  is  with  thee.  In  all  thy  fiery  trials.  His  presence  is 
both  thy  coufort  and  safety.  He  will  never  leave  one  whom 
He  has  chosen  for  His  own.  "  Fear  not,  for  I  am  with  thee," 
is  His  sure  word  of  promise  to  His  chosen  ones  in  the  "  fur- 
nace of  affliction."  Wilt  thou  not,  then,  take  fast  hold  of 
Christ,  and  say,  — 

"  Through  floods  and  flames,  if  Jesus  le%i, 
I'll  folkw  where  he  goes  "  ? 


64  DAILY  HEADINGS.  March  4. 


"My  grace  is  sufficient /or  thee."  —  2  Corinthians  xii.  9. 

c^^^/fF  none  of  God's  saints  were  poor  and  tried,  we  should 
y^A  "0  not  know  half  so  well  the  consolations  of  divine  grace. 
y.^^,^  When  we  find  the  wanderer  who  has  not  where  to  lay 
his  head,  who  yet  can  say,  "  Still  will  I  trust  in  the  Lord  ;  " 
when  we  see  the  pauper  starving  on  bread  and  water,  who 
still  glories  in  Jesus  ;  when  we  see  the  bereaved  widow  over- 
whelmed in  affliction,  and  yet  having  faith  in  Christ,  oh,  what 
honor  it  reflects  on  the  gospel !  God's  grace  is  illustrated 
and  magnified  in  the  poverty  and  trials  of  believers.  Saints 
bear  up  under  every  discouragement,  believing  that  all  things 
work  together  for  their  good,  and  that  out  of  apparent  evils 
a  real  blessing  shall  ultimately  spring  —  that  their  God  will 
either  work  a  deliverance  for  them  speedily,  or  most  assur- 
edly support  them  in  the  trouble,  as  long  as  He  is  pleased 
to  keep  them  in  it.  This  patience  of  the  saints  proves  the 
power  of  divine  grace.  There  is  a  lighthouse  out. at  sea:  it 
is  a  calm  night  —  I  cannot  tell  whether  the  edifice  is  firm; 
the  tempests  must  rage  about  it,  and  then  I  shall  know 
whether  it  will  stand.  So  with  the  Spirit's  work :  if  it  were 
not  on  many  occasions  surrounded  with  tempestuous  waters, 
we  should  not  know  that  it  was  true  and  strong  ;  if  the  winds 
did  not  blow  upon  it,  we  should  not  know  how  firm  and  se- 
cure it  was.  The  master-works  of  God  are  those  men  who 
stand  in  the  midst  of  difficulties,  steadfast,  unmovable,  — 

"  Calm  'mid  the  bewildering  cry, 
Confident  of  victory." 

Ele  who  would  glorify  his  God  must  set  his  account  upon 
meeting  with  many  trials.  No  man  can  be  illustrious  before 
the  Lord  unless  his  conflicts  be  many.  If,  then,  yours  be  a 
n\uch-tried  path,  rejoice  in  it,  because  you  will  the  better  show 
forth  the  all-sufficient  grace  of  God.  As  for  His  failing  you, 
never  dream  of  it  —  hate  the  thought.  The  God  who  has 
beeo  suflacieut  until  now  should  be  trusted  to  the  end. 


March  5.  daily  readings.  M 

"Let  us  not  sleep,  as  do  others." —  1  Thcssalonians  v.  6. 

^^i^^nERE  are  many  ways  of  promoting  Christian  wake- 
1^  fulness.  Among  the  rest,  let  me  strongly  advise 
Christians  to  converse  togctner  concerning  the  waya 
of  the  Lord.  Christian  and  Hopeful,  as  they  journeyed  to- 
wards the  Celestial  City,  said  to  themselves,  "  To  prevent 
drowsiness  in  this  place,  let  us  fall  into  good  discourse." 
Christian  inquired,  "Brother,  where  shall  we  begin?"  And 
Hopeful  answered,  "  Where  God  began  with  us  "  Then 
Christian  sang  this  song  — 

"  When  saints  do  sleepy  grow,  let  them  come  hither, 
And  hear  how  these  two  pilgrims  talk  together; 
Yea,  let  them  learn  of  them,  in  any  wise, 
Thus  to  keep  ope  their  drowsy,  slumbering  eyes. 
Saints'  fellowship,  if  it  be  managed  well. 
Keeps  them  awake,  and  that  in  spite  of  hell." 

Christians  who  isolate  themselves  and  walk  alone,  are  very 
liable  to  grow  drowsy.  Hold  Christian  company,  and  you  will 
be  kept  wakeful  by  it,  and  refreshed  and  encouraged  to  make 
quicker  progress  in  the  road  to  heaven.  But  as  you  thua 
take  "sweet  counsel"  with  others  in  the  ways  of  God,  take 
care  that  the  theme  of  your  converse  is  your  Lord  Jesus. 
Let  the  eye  of  faith  be  constantly  looking  unto  Him ;  let  your 
heart  be  full  of  Him  ;  let  your  lips  speak  of  His  worth. 
Friend,  live  near  to  the  cross,  and  thou  wilt  not  sleep.  La- 
bor to  impress  thyself  with  a  deep  sense  of  the  value  of  the  placs 
to  which  thou  art  going.  If  thou  rememberest  that  thou  art  go- 
ing to  heaven,  thou  wilt  not  sleep  on  the  road.  If  thou  think- 
est  that  hell  is  behind  thee,  and  the  devil  pursuing  thee,  thou 
wilt  not  loiter.  "Would  the  manslayer  sleep  with  the  avenger 
of  blood  behind  him,  and  the  city  of  refuge  before  him  ? 
Christian,  wilt  thou  sleep  whilst  the  pearly  gates  are  open  — 
the  songs  of  angels  waiting  for  thee  to  join  them  —  a  crown 
of  gold  ready  for  thy  brow  ?  Ah  !  no  ;  in  holy  fellowship 
continue  to  watch  and  pray  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation. 


66  DAILY  HEADINGS.  March  6. 


"  Ye  must  be  born  again."  —  John  iii.  7. 

ar^J^.E GENERATION  is  a  subject  which  lies  at  the  very 
1^  V)^  basis  of  salvation,  and  we  should  be  very  diligent  to 
**^^^  take  heed  that  we  really  are  "  born  again,"  for  there 
are  many  who  fancy  they  are,  who  are  not.  Be  assured  that 
the  name  of  a  Christian  is  not  the  nature  of  a  Christian  ;  and 
that  being  born  in  a  Christian  land,  and  being  recognized  as 
professing  the  Christian  religion,  is  of  no  avail  whatever,  un- 
less there  be  something  more  added  to  it —  the  being  "  born 
again"  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  To  be  "  born  again  " 
is  a  matter  so  mysterious,  that  human  words  cannot  describe 
it.  "  The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and  thou  hearest 
the  sound  thereof,  but  canst  not  tell  whence  it  cometh,  and 
whither  it  goeth  ;  so  is  every  one  that  is  born  of  the  Spirit." 
Nevertheless,  it  is  a  change  which  is  known  and  felt ;  known 
by  works  of  holiness,  and  felt  by  a  gracious  experience.  This 
great  work  is  supernatural.  It  is  not  an  operation  which  a 
man  performs  for  himself:  a  new  principle  is  infused,  which 
works  in  the  heart,  renews  the  soul,  and  affects  the  entire  man. 
It  is  not  a  change  of  ray  name,  but  a  renewal  of  my  nature, 
so  that  I  am  not  the  man  I  used  to  be,  but  a  new  man  in  Christ 
Jesus.  To  wash  and  dress  a  corpse  is  a  far  different  thing 
from  making  it  alive :  man  can  do  the  one,  God  alone  can  do 
the  other.  If  you  have,  then,  been  "  born  again,"  your  ac- 
knowledgment will  be,  "  0  Lord  Jesus,  the  everlasting 
Father,  Thou  art  my  spiritual  Parent ;  unless  Thy  Spirit  had 
breathed  into  me  the  breath  of  a  new,  holy,  and  spiritual 
life,  I  had  been  to  this  day  '  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins.' 
My  heavenly  life  is  wholly  derived  from  Thee,  to  Thee  I  as- 
cribe it.  '  My  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God.'  It  is  no  longer 
I  who  live,  but  Christ  who  liveth  in  me."  May  the  Lord  en- 
able us  to  be  well  assured  on  this  vital  point,  for  to  be  un- 
regencrate  is  to  be  unsaved,  unpardoned,  without  (JqcI|  aB4 
without  hopes 


March  7.  daily  readings.  67 


"Havefuilh  in  Go  J."  — 'Murk  xi.  22. 


^jky^AlTU  is  the  foot  of  the  soul  by  which  it  cai 
ferlrr^  ah)ng   the  road   of  the   coiiiiuaiuhiicuts.     L( 


can  march 
iove  can 
luakc  the  feet  move  more  swiftly  ;  but  faith  is  th 
foot  which  carries  the  soul.  Faith  is  the  oil  enabling  the 
wheels  of  holy  devotion  and  of  earnest  i)iety  to  move  well , 
and  without  faith  the  wheels  are  taken  from  the  chariot,  and 
wo  drag  heavily.  AVith  faith  I  can  do  all  things ;  without 
faith  I  shall  neither  have  the  inclination  nor  the  power  to  do 
anything  in  the  service  of  God.  If  you  would  find  the  men 
who  serve  God  the  best,  you  must  look  for  the  men  of  the 
most  faith.  Little  faith  will  save  a  man,  but  little  faith  can- 
not do  great  things  for  God.  Poor  little  faith  could  not  have 
fought  "  Apollyon  ;  "  it  needed  "  Christian  "  to  do  that.  Poor 
little  faith  could  not  have  slain  "  Giant  Despair  ;  "  it  required 
"  Great-heart's  "  arm  to  knock  that  monster  down.  Little 
faith  will  go  to  heaven  meat  certainly,  but  it  often  has  to 
hide  itself  in  a  nut-shell,  and  it  frequently  loses  all  but  its 
jewels.  Little  faith  says,  "  It  is  a  rough  road,  beset  with 
sharp  thorns,  and  full  of  dangers ;  I  am  afraid  to  go ;  but 
great  faith  remembers  the  promise,  '•  Thy  shoes  shall  be  iron 
and  brass  ;  as  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be : "  and  so 
she  boldly  ventures.  Little  faith  stands  desponding,  min- 
gling her  tears  with  the  flood  ;  but  great  faith  sings,  "  When 
thou  passcst  through  the  waters,  I  will  be  with  thee  ;  and 
through  the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee:"  and  she 
fords  the  stream  at  once.  Would  you  be  comfortable  and 
happy  ?  Would  you  enjoy  religion  ?  Would  you  have  the 
religi  )n  of  cheerfulness,  and  not  that  of  gloom?  Then  "have 
failh  in  God."  If  you  love  darkness,  and  are  satisfied  to 
dwell  in  gloom  and  misery,  then  be  content  with  little  faith ; 
but  if  you  love  the  sunshine,  and  would  sing  songs  of  rcjoifr 
ing,  covet  earnestly  tbig  best  gift,  "  great  faitli." 


68  DAILY  READINGS.  March  8. 

'•  We  must  through  much  tribulation  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
God."  — Acts  xiv.  22, 


m 


OD'S  people  have  their  trials.  It  was  never  designed 
^)  by  God,  when  He  chose  His  people,  that  they  should 
-^  be  an  untried  people.  They  were  chosen  in  the  fur- 
nace of  affliction ;  they  were  never  chosen  to  worldly  peace 
and  earthly  joy.  Freedom  from  sickness  and  the  pains  of 
mortality  was  never  promised  them ;  but  when  their  Lord 
drew  up  the  charter  of  privileges.  He  included  chastisements 
amongst  the  things  to  which  they  should  inevitably  be  heirs. 
Trials  are  a  part  of  oui  lot ;  they  were  predestinated  for  us 
in  God's  solemn  decrees,  and  bequeathed  us  in  Christ's  last 
legacy.  So  surely  as  the  stars  are  fashioned  by  His  hands, 
and  their  orbits  fixed  by  Him,  so  surely  are  our  trials  allotted 
to  us  ;  He  has  ordained  their  season  and  their  place,  their  in- 
tensity, and  the  eflfect  they  shall  have  upon  us.  Good  men 
must  never  expect  to  escape  troubles  ;  if  they  do,  they  will  be 
disappointed,  for  none  of  their  predecestors  have  been  with- 
out them.  Mark  the  patience  of  Job ;  remember  Abraham,  for 
he  had  his  trials,  and  by  his  faith  under  them,  he  became  the 
"  Father  of  the  faithful."  Note  well  the  biographies  of  all 
the  patriarchs,  prophets,  apostles,  and  martyrs,  and  you  shall 
discover  none  of  those  whom  God  made  vessels  of  mercy,  who 
were  not  made  to  pass  through  the  fire  of  affliction.  It  is 
ordained  of  old,  that  the  cross  of  trouble  should  be  engraven 
on  every  vessel  of  mercy,  as  the  royal  mark  whereby  the 
King's  vessels  of  honor  are  distinguished.  But  although 
tribulation  is  thus  the  path  of  God's  children,  they  have  the 
comfort  of  knowing  that  their  Master  has  traversed  it  before 
them  ;  they  have  His  presence  and  sympathy  to  cheer  them, 
Ilis  grace  to  support  them,  and  His  example  to  teach  them 
how  to  endure  ;  and  when  they  reach  "the  kingdom,"  it  will 
more  than  make  amends  for  the  "much  tribulation"  through 
which  tkej  passed  to  enter  it. 


March  9.  DAfLT  khadings.  69 

"  Yea,  Ue  is  altogether  lovely."  —  Solomon's  Song  v.  16. 

0  HE  superlative  beauty  of  Jesus  is  all-attracting  ;  it  is 
not  so  much  to  be  admired  as  to  be  loved.  He  is 
more  than  pleasant  and  fair,  He  is  lovely.  Surely 
the  people  of  God  can  fully  justify  the  use  of  this  golden  word, 
for  He  is  the  object  of  their  warmest  love,  a  love  founded  on 
the  intrinsic  excellence  of  His  person,  the  complete  perfection 
of  His  charms.  Look,  0  disciples  of  Jesus,  to  your  Master's 
lips,  and  say,  are  they  not  most  sweet  ?  Do  not  His  words 
cause  your  hearts  to  burn  within  you  as  He  talks  with  you  by 
the  way  ?  Ye  worshippers  of  Immanuel,  look  up  to  His  head 
of  much  fine  gold,  and  tell  me,  are  not  His  thoughts  precious 
unto  you  ?  Is  not  your  adoration  sweetened  with  afl'ection  as 
ye  humbly  bow  before  that  countenance  which  is  as  Leb- 
anon, excellent  as  the  cedars  ?  Is  there  not  a  charm  in  His 
every  feature,  and  is  not  His  whole  person  fragrant  with  such 
a  savor  of  His  good  ointments,  that  therefore  the  virgins  love 
Him  ?  Is  there  one  member  of  His  glorious  body  which  is 
not  attractive  ?  —  one  portion  of  His  person  which  is  not  a 
fresh  loadstone  to  our  souls  ?  —  one  office  which  is  not  a  strong 
cord  to  bind  your  heart  ?  Our  love  is  not  as  a  seal  set  upon 
His  heart  of  love  alone  ;  it  is  fastened  upon  His  arm  of  power 
also  ;  nor  is  there  a  single  part  of  Him  upon  which  it  docs  not 
fix  itself.  We  anoint  His  whole  person  with  the  sweet  spike- 
nard of  our  fervent  love.  His  whole  life  we  would  imitate  ; 
His  whole  character  wo  would  transcribe.  In  all  other  beinss 
we  see  some  lack,  in  Him  there  is  all  perfection.  The  best 
even  of  His  favored  saints  have  had  blots  upon  their  garments 
and  wrinkles  upon  their  brows  ;  He  is  nothing  but  loveliness. 
All  earthly  suns  have  their  spots ;  the  fair  world  itself  hath 
its  wilderness  ;  we  cannot  love  the  whole  of  the  most  lovely 
thing  ;  but  Christ  Jesus  is  gold  without  alloy  —  light  without 
darkness  —  glory  w'thout  cloud  —  •'  Yea,  He  is  altogether 
lovely." 


70  DAILY  READINGS.  March  Id. 


"  In  my  prosperity  I  said,  I  sJiall  never  be  moved." 
Psalm  XXX.  6. 


r 


&: 


OAB  is  settled  on  his  lees,  be  bath  not  been  emptied 
from  vessel  to  vessel.  Give  a  man  wealth ;  let  hia 
ships  bring  home  continually  rich  freights ;  let  the 
winds  and  waves  appear  to  be  his  servants  to  bear  his  vessels 
across  the  bosom  of  the  mighty  deep  ;  let  his  lands  yield 
abundantly ;  let  the  weather  be  propitious  to  his  crops ;  let 
uninterrupted  success  attend  him  ;  let  him  stand  among  men 
as  a  successful  merchant ;  let  him  enjoy  continued  health  ; 
allow  him  with  braced  nerve  and  brilliant  eye  to  march  through 
the  world  and  live  happily ;  give  him  the  buoyant  spirit ;  let 
him  have  the  song  perpetually  on  his  lips  ;  let  his  eye  be  ever 
sparkling  with  joy  —  and  the  natural  consequence  of  such  an 
eas'y  state  to  any  man,  let  him  be  the  best  Christian  who  ever 
breathed,  will  be  presumption ;  even  David  said,  "  I  shall 
never  be  moved  ; "  and  we  are  not  better  than  David,  nor 
half  so  good.  Brother,  beware  of  the  smooth  places  of  the 
way,  if  you  are  treading  them  ;  or  if  the  way  be  rough,  thank 
God  for  it.  If  God  should  always  rock  us  in  the  cradle  of 
prosperity ;  if  we  were  always  dandled  on  the  knees  of  for- 
tune ;  if  we  had  not  some  stain  on  the  alabaster  pillar  ;  if 
there  were  not  a  few  clouds  in  the  sky ;  if  we  had  not  some 
bitter  drops  in  the  wine  of  this  life,  we  should  become  intox- 
icated with  pleasure;  we  should  dream  "we  stand;"  and 
Btand  we  should,  but  it  would  be  upon  a  pinnacle ;  like  the 
man  asleep  upon  the  mast,  each  moment  we  should  be  in 
jeopardy.  We  bless  God,  then,  for  our  afflictions  ;  we  thank 
Him  for  our  changes  ;  we  extol  His  name  for  losses  of  prop- 
erty ;  for  we  feel  that  had  He  not  chastened  us  thus,  we 
might  have  become  too  secure.  Continued  worldly  proB« 
perity  is  a  fiery  trial. 

"  Afflictions,  though  they  seem  seTere, 
In  mercy  oft  are  sent." 


March  11.  DAILY   KEADIKGS.  71 


Si7i     .     .     .     exceeding  sinful."  —  Romans  vii.  13. 

^^^'.EWARE  of  ligbt  thoughts  of  sin.  At  the  time  of 
^5  conversion,  the  conscience  is  so  tender  that  we  are 
afraid  of  the  slightest  sin.  Young  converts  have  a 
holy  timidity,  a  godly  fear,  lest  they  should  offend  against  God. 
But  alas  !  very  soon  the  fine  bloom  upon  these  first  ripe  fruits 
is  removed  by  the  roiigh  handling  of  the  surrounding  world  ; 
the  sensitive  plant  of  young  piety  turns  into  a  willow  in  after 
life,  too  pliant,  too  easily  yielding.  It  is  sadly  true,  that  even 
a  Christian  may  grow  by  degrees  so  callous,  that  the  sin  which 
once  startled  him,  does  not  alarm  him  in  the  least.  By  de- 
grees men  get  familiar  with  sin.  The  ear  in  which  the  can- 
non has  been  booming,  will  not  notice  slight  sounds.  At  first 
a  little  sin  startles  us ;  but  soon  we  say,  "Is  it  not  a  little 
one  ? "  Then  there  comes  another,  larger,  and  then  another, 
until  by  degrees  we  begin  to  regard  sin  as  but  a  little  ill ; 
and  then  follows  an  unholy  presumption  :  "  We  have  not  fallen 
into  open  sin.  True,  we  tripped  a  little,  but  we  stood  upright 
in  the  main.  We  may  have  uttered  one  unholy  word,  but  as 
for  the  most  of  our  conversation,  it  has  been  consistent."  So 
we  palliate  sin  ;  we  throw  a  cloak  over  it ;  we  call  it  by  dainty 
names.  Christian,  beware  how  thou  thinkest  lightly  of  sin. 
Take  heed  lest  thou  fall  by  little  and  little.  Sin,  a  little  thing  ? 
Is  it  not  a  poison  ?  Who  knows  its  deadliuess  ?  Sin,  a  little 
thing  ?  Do  not  the  little  foxes  spoil  the  grapes  ?  Doth  not 
the  tiny  coral  insect  build  a  rock  which  wrecks  a  navy  ?  Do 
not  little  strokes  fell  lofty  oaks  ?  Will  not  continual  drop- 
pings wear  away  stones  ?  Sin,  a  little  thing  ?  It  girded  the 
Redeemer's  head  with  thorns,  and  pierced  His  heart !  It 
made  Him  sufi'er  anguish,  bitteiness,  and  woe.  Could  you 
Nveigh  the  least  sin  in  the  scales  of  eternity,  you  would  fly 
from  it  as  from  a  serpent,  and  abhor  the  least  appearance  of 
evil.  Look  upon  all  sin  as  that  which  crucified  the  Savioui, 
ftnd  you  will  see  it  to  be  "  exceeding  sinful." 


t^  DAILY  KEADlifGS.  March  Id. 

"  T]iou  sJialt  love  thy  neighbor."  —  Matthew  v.  43. 

I  S^^OVE  thy  neighbor.  Perhaps  he  rolls  in  riches,  and 
i0l  thou  art  poor,  and  living  in  thy  little  cot  side  by  side 
with  his  lordly  mansion ;  thou  seest  every  day  his 
estates,  his  fine  linen,  and  his  sumptuous  banquets  ;  God  has 
given  hira  these  gifts ;  covet  not  his  wealth,  and  think  no 
hard  thoughts  concerning  him.  Be  content  with  thine  own 
lot,  if  thou  canst  not  better  it ;  but  do  not  look  upon  thy 
neighbor,  and  wish  that  he  were  as  thyself.  Love  him,  and 
then  thou  wilt  not  envy  him.  Mayhap,  on  the  other  hand, 
thou  art  rich,  and  near  thee  reside  the  poor.  Do  not  scorn 
to  call  them  neighbors.  Own  that  thou  art  bound  to  love 
them.  The  world  calls  them  thy  inferiors.  In  what  are  they 
inferior  ?  They  are  far  more  thine  equals  than  thine  inferi- 
ors, for  "  God  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  people  that  dwell 
upon  the  face  of  the  earth."  It  is  thy  coat  which  is  better 
than  theirs,  but  thou  art  by  no  means  better  than  they. 
They  are  men,  and  what  art  thou  more  than  that  ?  Take 
heed  that  thou  love  thy  neighbor  even  though  he  be  in  rags, 
or  sunken  in  the  depths  of  poverty.  But,  perhaps,  you  say, 
"  I  cannot  love  my  neighbors,  because  for  all  I  do  they  re- 
turn ingratitude  and  coutempt."  So  much  the  more  room 
for  the  heroism  of  love.  Wouldst  thou  be  a  feather-bed 
warrior,  instead  of  bearing  the  rough  fight  of  love  ?  He 
who  dares  the  most,  shall  win  the  most ;  and  if  rough  be  thy 
path  of  love,  tread  it  boldly,  still  loving  thy  neighbors 
through  thick  and  thin.  Heap  coals  of  fire  on  their  heads  ; 
and  if  they  be  hard  to  please,  seek  not  to  please  them, 
but  to  please  thy  blaster ;  and  remember,  if  they  spurn  thy 
love,  thy  Master  hath  not  spurned  it,  and  thy  deed  is  as  ac- 
ceptable to  Him  as  if  it  had  been  acceptable  to  them.  Love 
thy  neighbor,  for  in  so  doing  thou  art  foUowmg  in  the  foot- 
steps of  Christ. 


March  13.  CailV  RbAblNGS.  7JJ 

"  Why  sit  ice  here  until  we  die?"  —  2  Kings  vii.  3. 

Plii^i'^^^RAR  reader,  this  little  book  was  mainly  intended  foif 
LA  K'  the  edification  of  believers;  but  if  you  are  yet  unsaved, 
^"'^'^  our  heart  yearns  over  you  ;  and  we  would  fain  say  a 
word  which  may  be  blessed  to  you.  Open  your  Bible,  and 
read  the  story  of  the  lepers,  and  mark  their  position,  which 
was  much  the  same  as  yours.  If  you  remain  where  you  are 
you  must  perish ;  if  you  go  to  Jesus  you  can  but  die.  "  Noth- 
ing venture,  nothing  win,"  is  the  old  proverb,  and  in  your 
case  the  venture  is  no  great  one.  If  you  sit  still  in  sullen 
despair,  no  one  can  pity  you  when  your  ruin  comes  ;  but  if 
you  die  with  mercy  sought,  if  such  a  thing  were  possible,  you 
would  be  the  object  of  universal  sympathy.  None  escape 
who  refuse  to  look  to  Jesus  ;  but  you  know  that,  at  any  rate, 
some  are  saved  who  believe  in  Him,  for  certain  of  your  own 
acquaintances  have  received  mercy  :  then  why  not  you  ?  The 
Ninevites  said,  "  Who  can  tell  ? "  Act  upon  the  same  hope, 
and  try  the  Lord's  mercy.  To  perish  is  so  awful,  that  if 
there  were  but  a  straw  to  catch  at,  the  instinct  of  self-preser- 
vation should  lead  you  to  stretch  out  your  hand.  We  have 
thus  been  talking  to  you  on  your  own  unbelieving  ground  ;  we 
would  now  assure  you,  as  from  the  Lord,  that  if  you  seek  Him 
He  will  be  found  of  you.  Jesus  casts  out  none  who  come  unto 
Him.  You  shall  not  perish  if  you  trust  Him ;  on  the  con- 
trary, you  shall  find  treasure  far  richer  than  the  poor  lepers 
gathered  in  Syria's  deserted  camp.  May  the  Holy  Spirit 
embolden  you  to  go  at  once,  and  you  shall  not  believe  in  vain. 
When  you  are  saved  yourself,  publish  the  good  news  to  others. 
Hold  not  your  peace ;  tell  the  king's  household  first,  and  unite 
with  them  in  fellowship  ;  let  the  porter  of  the  city,  the  minis- 
ter, be  informed  of  your  discovery,  and  then  proclaim  the 
good  news  in  every  place,  ^he  Lord  save  thee  ere  the  sun 
goes  down  this  day. 
7 


?4  DAILY    READINGS,  Marcb   14. 

"Let  him  that  ihinJceth  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  he  /all." 
1  Corinthians  x,  12. 


fJ'T  16  a  curious  fact,  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  be- 
o^  ing  proud  of  grace.  A  man  says,  "  I  have  great 
'^  faith ;  I  shall  not  fall ;  poor  little  faith  may,  but  I 
never  shall."  "  I  have  fervent  love,"  says  another  ;  "  I  can 
stand ;  there  is  no  danger  of  my  going  astray."  He  who 
boasts  of  grace  has  little  grace  to  boast  of.  Some  who  do 
this  imagine  that  their  graces  can  keep  them,  knowing  not 
that  the  stream  must  flow  constantly  from  the  fountain  head, 
or  else  the  brook  will  soon  be  dry.  If  a  continuous  stream 
of  oil  comes  not  to  the  lamp,  though  it  burn  brightly  to-day, 
it  will  smoke  to-morrow,  and  noxious  will  be  its  scent.  Take 
heed  that  thou  gloriest  not  in  thy  graces,  but  let  all  thy 
glorying  and  confidence  be  in  Christ  and  His  strength,  for 
only  so  canst  thou  be  kept  from  falling.  Be  much  more  in 
prayer.  Spend  longer  time  in  holy  adoration.  Read  the 
Scriptures  more  earnestly  and  constantly.  Watch  your  lives 
more  carefully.  Live  nearer  to  God.  Take  the  best  exam- 
ples for  your  pattern.  Let  your  conversation  be  redolent  of 
heaven.  Let  your  hearts  be  perfumed  with  affection  foi 
men's  souls.  So  live  that  men  may  take  knowledge  of  you 
that  you  have  been  with  Jesus,  and  have  learned  of  Him ; 
and  when  that  happy  day  shall  come,  when  He  whom  you  love 
shall  say,  "  Come  up  higher,"  ma^  it  be  your  happiness  to  hear 
Him  say,  "  Thou  hast  fought  a  good  fight,  thou  hast  finished 
thy  course,  and  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  thee  a  crown 
of  righteousness  which  fadeth  not  away."  On,  Christian,  with 
■care  and  caution  !  On,  with  holy  fear  and  trembling  !  On, 
with  faith  and  confidence  in  Jesus  alone,  md  let  your  con- 
Btant  petition  be,  "  Uphold  me  according  to  Thy  word."  He  ia 
able,  and  He  alone,  "  to  keep  you  from  falling,  and  to  present 
you  faultless  before  the  presence  of  His  glory  with  exceeH. 
ing  joy." 


Marcll   15.  T^AfLY   RlJADlJfGS.  75 

"  Be  strong  in  the  grace  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus."  —  2  Tim.  ii.  1. 

^"^HRIST  has  grace  without  measure  in  Himself,  but  He 
hath  not  retained  it  for  Himself  As  the  reservoir 
empties  itself  into  the  pipes,  so  hath  Christ  emptied 
out  His  grace  for  His  people.  "  Of  His  fulness  have  all  we 
received,  and  grace  for  grace."  He  seems  only  to  have,  in 
order  to  d'spense  to  us.  He  stands  like  the  fountain,  always 
flowing,  but  only  running  in  order  to  supply  the  empty  pitch- 
ers and  the  thirsty  lips  which  draw  nigh  unto  it.  Like  a 
tree,  He  bears  sweet  fruit,  not  to  hang  on  boughs,  but  to  be 
gathered  by  those  who  need.  Grace,  whether  its  work  be  to 
pardon,  to  cleanse,  to  preserve,  to  strengthen,  to  enlighten, 
to  quicken,  or  to  restore,  is  ever  to  be  had  from  Him  freely 
and  witliout  price ;  nor  is  there  one  form  of  the  work  of 
grace  which  He  has  not  bestowed  upon  His  people.  As  the 
blood  of  the  body,  though  flowing  from  the  heart,  belongs 
equally  to  every  member,  so  the  influences  of  grace  are  the 
inheritance  of  every  saint  united  to  the  Lamb ;  and  herein 
there  is  a  sweet  communion  between  Christ  and  His  Church, 
inasmuch  as  they  both  receive  the  same  grace.  Christ  is  the 
head  upon  which  the  oil  is  first  poured ;  but  the  same  oil 
runs  to  the  very  skirts  of  the  garments,  no  that  the  meanest 
saint  has  an  unction  of  the  same  costly  mo^'sture  as  that  which 
fell  upon  the  head.  This  is  true  commrnion  when  the  sap 
of  grace  flows  from  the  stem  to  the  bran  'ih,  and  when  it  is 
perceived  that  the  stem  itself  is  sustained  by  the  very  nour- 
ishment which  feeds  the  branch.  As  we  day  by  day  receive 
grace  from  Jesus,  and  more  constantly  recoijnize  it  as  coming 
from  Him,  we  shall  behold  Him  in  communion  with  us,  and  en- 
joy the  felicity  of  communion  with  Him.  Let  us  make  daily 
use  of  our  riches,  and  ever  repair  to  Him  as  our  own  Lord 
in  covenant,  taking  from  Him  the  supply  of  all  we  need  with 
•8  much  boldness  as  men  take  money  from  their  own  purse. 


76  DAILY  READINGS.  March  16. 


'  I  am  a  stranger  with  thee."  —  Psalm  xxxix.  IL. 

3ES,  0  Lord,  with  Thee,  but  not  to  Thee.     All  my  nat- 
^  ural  alienation  from  Thee,  Thy  grace  has  effectually 


removed  ;  and  now,  in  fellowship  with  Thyself,  I 
walk  through  this  sinful  world  as  a  pilgrim  in  a  for- 
eign coimtry.  Thou  art  a  stranger  in  Thine  own  world. 
Man  forgets  Thee,  dishonors  Thee,  sets  up  new  laws  and 
alien  customs,  and  knows  Thee  not.  When  Thy  dear  Son 
came  unto  His  own,  His  own  received  Him  not.  He  was  in 
the  world,  and  the  world  was  made  by  Him,  and  the  world 
knew  Him  not.  Never  was  foreigner  so  speckled  a  bird 
among  the  denizens  of  any  land,  as  Thy  beloved  Son  among 
His  mother's  brethren.  It  is  no  marvel,  then,  if  I,  who  live 
the  life  of  Jesus,  should  be  unknown  and  a  stranger  here  be- 
low. Lord,  I  would  not  be  a  citizen  where  Jesus  was  an 
alien.  His  pierced  hand  has  loosened  the  cords  which  once 
bound  my  soul  to  earth,  and  now  I  find  myself  a  stranger  in 
the  land.  My  speech  seems  to  these  Babylonians  among 
whom  I  dwell,  an  outlandish  tongue ;  my  manners  are  singu- 
lar, and  my  actions  are  strange.  A  Tartar  would  be  more 
at  home  in  Cheapside  than  I  could  ever  be  in  the  haunts  of 
sinners.  But  here  is  the  sweetness  of  my  lot ;  I  am  a 
stranger  with  Thee.  Thou  art  my  fellow-sufferer,  my  fellow- 
pilgrim.  Oh  !  what  joy  to  wander  in  such  blessed  society  ! 
My  heart  burns  within  me  by  the  way  when  thou  dost  speak 
to  ro-},  and  though  I  be  a  sojourner,  I  am  far  more  blessed 
than  those  who  sit  on  thrones,  and  far  more  at  home  than 
thoB  J  who  dwell  in  their  ceiled  houses. 

"  To  me  remains  nor  place,  nor  time  : 
My  country  is  in  every  clime  ; 
I  can  be  calm  and  free  from  care 
On  any  shore,  since  God  is  there. 

While  place  we  seek,  or  place  we  shun, 
The  soul  (intls  happiness  in  none; 
But  with  a  God  to  guide  our  way, 
'Tis  equal  joy  to  go  or  stay." 


March  l7.  Daily  REAutNGd.  ^7 


"Remember  the  poor."  —  Gulatians  ii.  10. 


pIIY  does  God  allow  so  many  of  Ilis  children  to  be 
poor  ?  He  could  make  them  all  rich  if  he  pleased  ; 
He  could  lay  bags  of  gold  at  their  doors ;  He  could 
send  them  a  large  annual  income  ;  or  He  could  scatter  round 
their  houses  abundance  of  provisions,  as  once  He  made  the 
quails  lie  in  heaps  round  the  camp  of  Israel,  and  rained  bread 
out  of  heaven  to  feed  them.  There  is  no  necessity  that  they 
should  be  poor,  except  that  He  sees  it  to  be  best.  "  The 
cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills  are  His "  —  He  could  supply 
them ;  He  could  make  the  richest,  the  greatest,  and  the 
mightiest  bring  all  their  power  and  riches  to  the  feet  of  His 
children,  for  tlie  hearts  of  all  men  are  in  His  control.  But 
He  does  not  choose  to  do  so  ;  He  allows  them  to  suffer  want. 
He  allows  them  to  pine  in  penury  and  obscurity.  Why  is  this  ? 
There  are  many  reasons  :  one  is,  to  give  us,  who  are  favored 
with  enough,  an  opportunity  of  showing  our  love  to  Jesus.  We 
show  our  love  to  Christ  when  we  sing  of  Him,  and  when  we 
pray  to  Him  ;  but  if  there  were  no  sons  of  need  in  the  world, 
we  should  lose  the  sweet  privilege  of  evidencing  our  love,  by 
ministering,  in  alms-giving,  to  His  poorer  brethren ;  He  has 
ordained  that  thus  we  should  prove  that  our  love  standeth  not 
in  word  only,  but  in  deed  and  in  truth.  If  we  truly  love 
Christ,  we  shall  care  for  those  who  are  loved  by  Him.  Those 
who  are  dear  to  Him  will  be  dear  to  us.  Let  us  then  look 
upon  it  not  as  a  duty,  but  as  a  privilege,  to  relieve  the  poor  of 
the  Lord's  flock  —  remembering  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
"  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these 
My  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  Me."  Surely  this  assur- 
ance is  sweet  enough,  and  this  motive  strong  enough,  to  lead 
us  to  help  others  with  a  willing  hand  and  a  loving  heart  — 
recollecting  tljat  all  we  do  for  His  people  is  graciouslj 
accepted  by  Christ  as  done  to  Himself. 
7* 


V8  bAttV  HEADINGS.  March  18. 


"Ye  are  all  the  children  of  God  by  faith  in  Christ  Jestis." 
Gal.  iii.  26. 

^HE  fatherhood  of  God  is  common  to  all  His  children. 
Ah !  Little-faith,  you  have  often  said,  "  0  that  I 
had  the  courage  of  Great-heart,  that  I  could  wield 
His  sword  and  be  as  valiant  as  He !  But,  alas,  I  stumble  at 
every  straw,  and  a  shadow  makes  me  afraid."  List  thee. 
Little-faith.  Great-heart  is  God's  child,  and  you  are  God'a 
child  too  ;  and  Great-heart  is  not  one  whit  more  God's  child 
than  you  are.  Peter  and  Paul,  the  highly-favored  apostles, 
were  of  the  family  of  the  Most  High  ;  and  so  are  you  also  ; 
the  weak  Christian  is  as  much  a  child  of  God  as  the  stroDg 
one. 

"  This  covenant  stands  secure, 
Though  earth's  old  piUars  bow; 
The  strong,  the  feeble,  and  the  weak, 
Are  one  in  Jesus  now." 

All  the  names  are  in  the  same  family  register.  One  may 
have  more  grace  than  another,  but  God,  our  heavenly  Fa- 
ther, has  the  same  tender  heart  towards  all.  One  may  do 
more  mighty  works,  and  may  bring  more  glory  to  his  Father, 
but  he  whose  name  is  the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
as  much  the  child  of  God  as  he  who  stands  among  the  king's 
mighty  men.  Let  this  cheer  and  comfort  us,  when  we  draw 
near  to  God  and  say,  "  Our  Father." 

Yet,  while  we  are  comforted  by  knowing  this,  let  us  not 
rest  contented  with  weak  faith,  but  ask,  like  the  Apostles,  to 
nave  it  increased.  However  feeble  our  faith  may  be,  if  it  be 
real  faith  in  Christ,  we  shall  reach  heaven  at  last,  but  we 
shall  not  honor  our  Master  much  on  our  pilgrimage,  neither 
shall  we  abound  in  joy  and  peace.  If,  then,  you  would  livf 
to  Christ's  glory,  and  be  happy  in  His  service,  seek  to  bt 
filled  with  the  spirit  of  adoption  more  and  more  completely, 
till  perfect  love  shall  cast  out  fear. 


starch  19.  MiLV  ifiiiAbiiJcs.  ?tt 


'^Strong  in  faith."  —  Romans  iv.  20. 


'^QRISTIAN,  take  good  care  of  thy  faith  ;  for  recollect 
\.4]^  failh  is  the  only  way  whereby  thou  canst  obtain  bless' 
iugs.  If  we  want  blessings  from  God,  nothing  can 
fetch  them  down  but  faith.  Prayer  cannot  draw  down  an- 
swers from  God's  throne  except  it  be  the  earnest  prayer  of 
the  man  who  believes.  Faith  is  the  angelic  messenger  be- 
tween the  soul  and  the  Lord  Jesus  in  glory.  Let  that  angel 
be  withdrawn,  we  can  neither  send  up  prayer,  nor  receive  the 
answers.  Faith  is  the  telegraphic  wire  which  links  earth 
and  heaven  —  on  which  God's  messages  of  love  fly  so  fast, 
that  before  we  call  He  answers,  and  while  we  are  yet  speak- 
ing Fe  hears  us.  But  if  that  telegraphic  wire  of  faith  be 
snapped,  how  can  we  receive  the  promise  ?    Am  I  in  trouble  ? 

—  I  can  obtain  help  for  trouble  by  faith.  Am  I  beaten  about 
by  tbe  enemy  ?  —  my  soul  on  her  dear  Refuge  leans  by  faith. 
But  take  faith  away — in  vain  I  call  to  God.  There  is  no 
road  betwixt  my  soul  and  heaven.  In  the  deepest  winter- 
time faith  is  a  road  on  which  the  horses  of  prayer  may  travel 

—  ay,  and  all  the  better  for  the  biting  frost ;  but  blockade 
the  road,  and  how  can  we  communicate  with  the  Great  King  ? 
Faith  links  me  with  divinity.  Faith  clothes  me  with  the 
power  of  God.  Faith  engages  on  my  side  the  omnipotence 
of  Jehovah.  Faith  insures  every  attribute  of  God  in  my 
defence.  It  helps  me  defy  the  hosts  of  hell.  It  makes  me 
march  triumphant  over  the  necks  of  my  enemies.  But  with- 
out faith  how  can  I  receive  anything  of  the  Lord  ?  Let  not 
him  that  wavercth  —  who  is  like  a  wave  of  the  sea  —  expect 
that  he  will  receive  anything  of  God  I  0,  then,  Christian, 
watch  well  thy  faith  ;  for  with  it  thou  canst  win  all  things, 
however  poor  thou  art,  but  without  it  thou  canst  obtain 
nothing.  "  If  thou  canst  believe,  all  things  are  possible  to 
him  that  believeth." 


Wb  bAJLY  iifiADiifGS.  March  ^0. 

"My  beloved."  —  Canticles  ii.  8. 

^HIS  was  a  golden  name  which  the  ancient  Church  in 
her  most  joyous  moments  was  wont  to  give  to  the 
Anointed  of  the  Lord.  When  the  time  of  the  sing- 
ing of  birds  was  come,  and  the  voice  of  the  turtle  was  heard 
in  her  land,  her  love-note  was  sweeter  than  either,  as  she 
Bung,  "My  beloved  is  mine,  and  I  am  His :  He  feedeth  among 
tho  lilies."  Ever  in  her  song  of  songs  doth  she  call  Him  by 
that  delightful  name,  "  My  beloved ! "  Even  in  the  long 
winter,  when  idolatry  had  withered  the  garden  of  the  Lord, 
her  prophets  found  space  to  lay  aside  the  burden  of  the  Lord 
for  a  little  season,  and  to  say,  as  Esaias  did,  "  Now  will  I 
sing  to  my  well-beloved  a  song  of  my  beloved  touching  His 
vineyard."  Though  the  saints  had  never  seen  His  face, 
though  as  yet  He  was  not  made  flesh,  nor  had  dwelt  among 
us,  nor  had  man  beheld  His  glory,  yet  He  was  the  consola- 
tion of  Israel,  the  hope  and  joy  of  all  the  chosen,  the  "  be- 
loved "  of  all  those  who  were  upright  before  the  Most  High. 
We,  in  the  summer  days  of  the  Church,  are  also  wont  to 
speak  of  Christ  as  the  best  beloved  of  our  soul,  and  to  feel 
that  He  is  very  precious,  the  "  chiefest  among  ten  thousand, 
and  the  altogether  lovely."  So  true  is  it  that  the  Church 
loves  Jesus,  and  claims  Him  as  her  beloved,  that  the  apostle 
dares  to  defy  the  whole  universe  to  separate  her  from  the 
love  of  Christ,  and  declares  that  neither  persecutions,  dis- 
tress, affliction,  peril,  or  the  sword  have  been  able  to  do  it; 
nay,  he  joyously  boasts,  "  In  all  these  things  we  are  mon 
than  conquerors  through  Him  that  loved  us." 

0  that  we  knew  more  of  Thee,  Thou  ever  pr-'cious  One 

"  My  sole  possession  is  Thy  love  ; 
In  earth  beneath,  or  heaven  above, 

I  have  no  other  store  ; 
And  though  with  fervent  suit  I  pray, 
And  importune  Thee  day  by  day, 

1  ask  Thee  nothing  more." 


March  2l.  Daily  readinqs.  61 


•'  Ve  shall  be  scattered,  every  man  to  his  own,  and  shall  leave  mt 
alone."  —  John  xvi.  32. 

>2|'%5EW  had  fellowship  with  the  sorrows  of  Gethsenianc. 
'■^  The  majorit}'  of  the  disciples  were  not  sufficiently  ad- 
vanced in  grace  to  be  admitted  to  behold  the  mysteries 
of  "  the  agony."  Occupied  wiih  the  passovcr  feast  at  their 
own  houses,  they  represent  the  many  who  live  upon  the  letter, 
but  are  mere  babes  as  to  the  spirit  of  the  gospel.  To  twelve, 
nay,  to  eleven  only,  was  the  privilege  given  to  enter  Gethsem- 
ane  and  see  "  this  great  sight."  Out  of  the  eleven,  eight  were 
left  at  a  distance ;  they  had  fellowship,  but  not  of  that  intimate 
sort  to  which  men  greatly  beloved  are  admitted.  Only  three 
highly  favored  ones  could  approach  the  veil  of  our  Lord's  mys- 
terious sorrow  ;  within  that  veil  even  these  must  not  intrude  ; 
a  stone's-cast  distance  must  be  left  between.  He  must  tread 
the  wine-press  alone,  and  of  the  people  there  must  be  none 
with  Him.  Peter  and  the  two  sons  of  Zebedee,  represent  the 
few  eminent,  experienced  saints,  who  may  be  written  down  as 
"  Fathers  ;  "  these  having  done  business  on  great  waters,  can 
in  soma  degree  measure  the  huge  Atlantic  waves  of  their  Re- 
deemer's passion.  To  some  selected  spirits  it  is  given,  for  the 
good  of  others,  and  to  strengthen  them  for  future,  special,  and 
tremendous  conflict,  to  enter  the  inner  circle  and  hear  the 
pleadings  of  the  suffering  High  Priest ;  they  have  fellowship 
with  Him  in  His  sufferings,  and  are  made  conformable  unto 
His  death.  Yet  even  these  cannot  penetrate  the  secret  places 
of  the  Saviour's  woe.  "  Thine  unknown  sufferings,"  is  the 
remarkable  expression  of  the  Greek  liturgy :  there  was  an 
inner  chamber  in  our  Master's  grief,  shut  out  from  human 
knowledge  and  fellowship.  There  Jesus  is  "  left  alone.'' 
Here  Jesus  was  more  than  ever  an  "  unspeakable  gift."  "it 
Dot  Watts  right  when  he  sings  — 

"  And  all  the  unknown  joys  he  gives 
Were  bought  with  a^ODies  unknown  "  ? 


S2  ttAtLTt  HEADINGS.  Marcli  22. 

"  A7id  He  went  a  little  faiilter,  and  fell  on  His  face,  and  prayed* 
Matthew  xxvi.  39. 

*^;HERE  are  several  instructive  features  in  our  Saviour's 
^h  prayer  in  His  hour  of  trial.  It  was  lonely  prayer.  He 
'^  withdrew  even  from  His  three  favored  disciples.  Be- 
liever, be  much  in  solitary  prayer,  especially  in  times  of  trial. 
Family  prayer,  social  prayer,  prayer  in  the  Church,  will  not 
suffice ;  these  are  very  precious,  hut  the  best  beaten  spice 
will  smoke  in  your  censer  in  your  private  devotions,  where 
no  ear  hears  but  God's. 

It  was  humhle  prayer.  Luke  says  He  knelt ;  but  another 
evangelist  says  He  "  fell  on  His  face."  Where,  then,  must  be 
THY  place,  thou  humble  servant  of  the  great  Master  ^  What 
dust  and  ashes  should  cover  thy  head  !  Humility  gives  us  good 
foot-hold  in  prayer.  There  is  no  hope  of  prevalence  with  God 
unless  we  abase  ourselves  that  He  may  exalt  us  in  due  time. 

It  vfSiS  filial  prayer.  "  Abba,  Father."  You  will  find  it  a 
stronghold  in  the  day  of  trial  to  plead  your  adoption.  You 
have  no  rights  as  a  subject,  you  have  forfeited  them  by  your 
treason  ;  but  nothing  can  forfeit  a  child's  right  to  a  father's 
protection.    Be  not  afraid  to  say,  "  My  Father,  hear  my  cry." 

Observe  that  it  was  •persevering  prayer.  He  prayed  three 
times.  Cease  not  until  you  prevail.  Be  as  the  importunate 
widow,  whose  continual  coming  earned  what  her  first  sup- 
plication could  not  win.  Continue  in  prayer,  and  watch  in 
the  same  with  thanksgiving. 

Lastly,  it  was  theprayer  of  resignation.  "  Nevertheless,  not 
as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt."  Yield,  and  God  yields.  Let  it 
be  as  God  wills,  and  God  will  determine  for  the  best.  Be 
thou  content  to  leave  thy  prayer  in  His  hands,  who  knows 
when  to  give,  and  how  to  give,  and  what  to  give,  and  what 
to  withhold.  So  pleading,  earnestly,  importunately,  yet  with 
humility  and  resignation,  thou  shalt  surely  prevail. 


March  23.  DAltY  HEADINGS.  M 

"  His  sweat  was  as  it  were  great  drops  of  blood  falling   down 
to  the  ground."  -—  Luke  xxii.  44. 

■,HE  mental  pressure  arising  from  our  Lord's  struggle 
M  with  temptation,  so  forced  His  frame  to  an  unnatural 
excitement,  that  His  pores  sent  forth  great  drops  of 
blood  which  fell  down  to  the  ground.  This  proves  how  tre- 
mendous must  have  been  the  weight  of  sin  when  it  was  able  to 
crush  the  Saviour  so  that  He  distilled  great  drops  of  blood ! 
This  demonstrates  the  mighty  power  of  His  love.  It  is  a  very 
pretty  observation  of  old  Isaac  Ambrose  that  the  gum  which 
exudes  from  the  tree  without  cutting  is  always  the  best.  This 
precious  camphor-tree  yielded  most  sweet  spices  when  it  was 
wounded  under  the  knotty  whips,  and  when  it  was  pierced  by 
the  nails  on  the  cross  ;  but  see,  it  giveth  forth  its  best  spice 
when  there  is  no  whip,  no  nail,  no  wound.  This  sets  forth 
the  voluntariness  of  Christ's  sufferings,  since  without  a  lance 
the  blood  flowed  freely.  No  need  to  put  on  the  leech,  or  ap- 
ply the  knife  ;  it  flows  spontaneously.  No  need  for  the  rulers 
to  cry,  "  Spring  up,  0  well ; "  of  itself  it  flows  in  crimson 
torrents.  If  men  suifer  great  pain  of  mind  apparently  the 
blood  ru'ihes  to  the  heart.  The  cheeks  are  pale  ;  a  fainting 
fit  comes  on  ;  the  blood  has  gone  inward,  as  if  to  nourish  the 
inner  man  while  passing  through  its  trial.  But  see  our  Sa- 
viour in  His  agony ;  He  is  so  utterly  oblivious  of  self,  that 
instead  of  His  agony  driving  His  blood  to  the  heart  to  nourish 
Himself,  it  drives  it  outward  to  bedew  the  earth.  The  agony 
of  Christ,  inasmueli  as  it  pours  Him  out  upon  the  ground, 
pictures  the  fulness  of  the  oiFering  which  He  made  for  men. 
Do  we  not  perceive  how  intense  must  have  been  the  wres- 
tling through  which  He  passed,  and  will  we  not  hear  its  voice 
to  us  f  "  Ye  have  not  yet  resisted  unto  blood,  striving  against 
gin."  Behold  the  great  Apostle  and  High  Priest  of  our  pro- 
fession, and  sweat  even  to  blood  rather  than  yield  to  the 
great  tempter  of  your  souls. 


Daily  liEACmGS.  March  24. 


"  He  was  heard  in  that  he  feared."  —  Hebrews  v.  7. 


^JJD  this  fear  arise  from  the  infernal  suggestion  that  He 
^1^  was  utterly  forsaJcen  ?  There  may  be  sterner  trials 
than  this,  but  surely  it  is  one  of  the  worst  to  be  utterly 
forsaken.  "  See,"  said  Satan,  "  thou  hast  a  friend  nowhere  ! 
Thy  Father  hath  shut  up  the  bowels  of  His  compassion  against 
thee.  Not  an  angel  in  His  courts  will  stretch  out  his  hand  to 
help  Thee.  All  heaven  is  alienated  from  Thee.  Thou  art  left 
alone.  See  the  companions  with  whom  Thou  hast  taken  sweet 
counsel ;  what  are  they  worth  ?  Son  of  Mary,  see  there  Thy 
brother  James,  see  there  Thy  loved  disciple  John,  and  Thy 
bold  apostle  Peter :  how  the  cowards  sleep  when  Thou  art  in 
Thy  sufferings  !  Lo  !  Thou  hast  no  friend  left  in  heaven  or 
earth.  All  hell  is  against  Thee.  I  have  stirred  up  mine  in- 
fernal den.  I  have  sent  my  missives  throughout  all  regions, 
summoning  every  prince  of  darkness  to  set  upon  Thee  this 
night,  and  we  will  spare  no  arrows,  we  will  use  all  our  infernal 
might  to  overwhelm  Thee  ;  and  what  wilt  Thou  do,  Thou  sol- 
itary one  ?  "  It  may  be,  this  was  the  temptation  ;  we  think  it 
was,  because  the  appearance  of  an  angel  unto  Him,  strength- 
ening Him,  removed  that  fear.  He  was  heard  in  that  He 
feared ;  He  was  no  more  alone,  but  heaven  was  with  Him. 
It  may  be  that  this  is  the  reason  of  His  coming  three  times 
to  His  disciples  —  as  Hart  puts  it  — 

"  Backwards  and  forwards  thrice  He  ran, 
As  if  He  sought  some  help  from  man." 

He  would  see  for  Himself  whether  it  were  really  true  that  all 
men  had  forsaken  Him ;  He  found  them  all  asleep  ;  but  per- 
haps He  gained  some  faint  comfort  from  the  thought  that 
they  were  sleeping,  not  from  treachery,  but  from  sorrow ; 
the  spirit  indeed  was  willing,  but  the  flesh  was  weak.  At  ant 
rate  He  was  heard  in  that  He  feared.  Jesus  was  heard  in 
His  deepest  woe  ;  my  soul,  thou  shali  be  heard  also. 


March  25.  daily  readinos.  85 


"Betray  est  thou  the  Son  of  Man  with  a  hies?"  —  Luke  xxii.  48. 

rllE  kisses  of  an  enemy  are  de.ccitful.  Let  me  bo  on 
L^^'  my  guard  when  the  world  puts  on  a  loving  face,  fcr 
it  will,  if  possible,  betray  me,  as  it  did  my  Master, 
vith.  a  kiss.  Whenever  a  man  is  about  to  stab  religion,  he 
usually  professes  very  great  reverence  for  it.  Let  me  be- 
ware of  the  sleek-faced  hypocrisy  which  i«  armor-bearer  to 
heresy  and  infidelity.  Knowing  the  deceivableness  of  un- 
righteousness, let  me  be  wise  as  a  serpent  to  detect  and 
avoid  the  designs  of  the  enemy.  The  young  man,  void  of 
understanding,  was  led  astray  by  the  kiss  of  the  strange 
woman :  may  my  soul  be  so  graciously  instructed  all  this 
day,  that  "  the  much  fair  speech"  of  the  world  may  have  no 
effect  upon  me !  Holy  Spirit,  let  me  not,  a  poor  frail  son 
of  man,  be  betrayed  with  a  kiss  ! 

But  what  if  I  should  be  guilty  of  the  same  accursed  sin  as 
Judas,  that  son  of  perdition  ?  I  have  been  baptized  into 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  I  am  a  member  of  His  visible 
Church  ;  I  sit  at  the  communion  table  :  all  these  are  so  many 
kisses  of  my  lips.  Am  I  sincere  in  them  ?  If  not,  I  am  a 
base  traitor.  Do  I  live  in  the  world  as  carelessly  as  others 
do,  and  yet  make  a  profession  of  being  a  follower  of  Jesus? 
Then  I  must  expose  religion  to  ridicule,  and  lead  men  to 
speak  evil  of  the  holy  name  by  which  I  am  called.  Surely 
if  1  act  thus  inconsistently,  I  am  a  Judas,  and  it  were  better 
for  mc  that  I  had  never  been  born.  Dare  I  hope  that  I  am 
clear  in  this  matter  ?  Then,  0  Lord,  keep  me  so.  0  Lord, 
make  me  sincere  and  true.  Preserve  me  from  every  false 
way.  Never  let  me  betray  my  Saviour.  I  do  love  Thee, 
Jesus,  and  though  I  often  grieve  Thee,  yet  I  would  desire 
to  abide  faithful  even  unto  death.  0  God,  forbid  that  1 
should  be  a  high-soaring  professor,  and  then  fall  at  last  into 
the  lake  of  fire,  because  I  betrayed  my  Master  with  a  kiss. 
8 


86  DAILY  READINGS.  March  26. 

"Jesus  said  unto  them,  If  ye  seek  Me,  let  these  go  their  way.'^  — 
John  xviii.  8. 


I^J^AEK,  my  soul,  the  care  which  Jesus  manifested,  even 
in  His  hour  of  trial,  towards  the  sheep  of  His  hand  ! 
The  ruling  passion  is  strong  in  death.  He  resigns 
Flimself  to  the  enemy,  but  He  interposes  a  word  of  power  to 
set  His  disciples  free.  As  to  Himself,  like  a  sheep  before 
her  shearers,  He  is  dumb,  and  openeth  not  His  mouth,  but 
for  His  disciples'  sake  He  speaks  with  Almighty  energy. 
Herein  is  love,  constant,  self- forgetting,  faithful  love.  But  is 
there  not  far  more  here  than  is  to  be  found  upon  the  surface  ? 
Have  we  not  the  very  soul  and  spirit  of  the  atonement  in 
these  words  ?  The  Good  Shepherd  lays  down  His  life  for 
the  sheep,  and  pleads  that  they  must  therefore  go  free.  The 
Surety  is  bound,  and  justice  demands  that  those  for  whom 
He  stands  a  substitute  should  go  their  way.  In  the  midst 
of  Egypt's  bondage,  that  voice  rings  as  a  word  of  power, 
'■'■Let  these  go  their  way."  Out  of  the  slavery  of  sin  and 
Satan  the  redeemed  must  come.  In  every  cell  of  the  dun- 
geons of  Despair,  the  sound  is  echoed,  '■'■Let  these  go  their 
way,"  and  forth  come  Despondency  and  Much-afraid.  Satan 
hears  the  well-known  voice,  and  lifts  his  foot  from  the  nock 
of  the  fallen ;  and  Death  hears  it,  and  tl^e  grave  opens  her 
gates  to  let  the  dead  arise.  Their  ivay  is  one  of  progress, 
holiness,  triumph,  glory,  and  none  shall  dare  to  stay  them 
in  it.  No  lion  shall  be  on  their  way,  neither  shall  any 
ravenous  beast  go  up  thereon.  "The  hind  of  the  morning" 
has  drawn  the  cruel  hunters  upon  himself,  and  now  the  most 
timid  roes  and  hinds  of  the  field  may  graze  at  perfect  peace 
among  the  lilies  of  his  loves.  The  thunder-cloud  has  burst 
over  the  Cross  of  Calvary,  and  the  pilgrims  of  Zion  shalj 
never  be  smitten  by  the  bolts  of  vengeance.  Come,  my 
heart,  rejoice  in  the  immunity  which  thy  Redeemer  has  se- 
cured thee,  and  bk"s»  his  name  all  the  day,  and  every  day. 


f: 


March  27.  daily  readixgs.  ft7 

"  Then  all  the  disciples  forsook  Him  andjled."  —  Matt.  xxvi.  5^. 

pE  nover  deserted  thcra,  but  they,  in  cowardly  fear  of 
i  their  lives,  fled  from  Him  in  the  very  beginning  of 
His  sufi'erings.  This  is  but  one  instructive  instance 
of  the  frailty  of  all  believers  if  left  to  themselves ;  they  are 
but  sheep  at  the  best,  and  they  flee  when  the  wolf  comoth. 
They  had  all  been  warned  of  the  danger,  and  had  promised 
to  die  rather  than  leave  their  Master ;  and  yet  they  were 
seized  with  sudden  panic,  and  took  to  their  heels.  It  may 
be  that  I,  at  the  opening  of  this  day,  have  braced  up  my 
mind  to  bear  a  trial  for  the  Lord's  sake,  and  I  imagine  my- 
self to  be  certain  to  exhibit  perfect  fidelity ;  but  let  me  be 
very  jealous  of  mj-self,  lest,  having  the  same  evil  heart  tf 
unbelief,  I  should  depart  from  my  Lord  as  the  apostles  did. 
It  is  one  thing  to  promise,  and  quite  another  to  perform. 
It  would  have  been  to  their  eternal  honor  to  have  stood  at 
Jesus'  side  right  manfully  :  they  fled  from  honor  ;  may  I  be 
kept  from  imitating  them  !  Wh«re  else  could  they  have 
been  so  safe  as  near  their  Master,  who  could  presently  call 
for  twelve  legions  of  angels  ?  They  fled  from  their  true  safety. 
0  God,  let  me  not  play  the  fool  also.  Divine  grace  can 
make  the  coward  brave.  The  smoking  flax  can  flame  forth 
like  fire  on  the  altar  when  the  Lord  wills  it.  These  very 
apostles,  who  were  timid  as  hares,  grew  to  be  bold  as  lions 
after  the  Spirit  had  descended  upon  them,  and  even  so  the 
Holy  Spirit  can  make  my  recreant  spirit  brave  to  confess  my 
Lord,  and  witness  for  His  truth. 

What  anguish  must  have  filled  the  Saviour  as  He  saw  Ilia 
friends  so  faithless  !  This  was  one  bitter  ingredient  in  His 
cup;  but  that  cup  is  drained  dry;  let  me  not  put  another 
drop  in  it.  If  I  forsake  my  Lord,  I  shall  crucify  Him  afresh, 
and  put  Him  to  an  open  shame.  Keep  me,  0  blessed  Spirit, 
from  an  end  so  sh^meful ! 


88  DAILY  EEADiNGS.  Murch  28, 

"  Tlie  love  of  Ch-ist,  which passeth  knowledge."  —  Epli.  iii.  19. 

^HE  love  of  Christ  in  its  sweetness,  its  fulness,  its 
'^\  greatness,  its  faithfulness,  passeth  all  human  com 
prehension.  Where  shall  language  be  found  which 
shall  describe  His  matchless.  His  unparalleled  lorve  toward' 
lEe  children  of  men  ?  It  is  so  vast  and  boundless  that,  as 
the  swallow  but  skimmeth  the  water,  and  diveth  not  into  its 
depths,  so  all  descriptive  words  but  touch  the  surface,  while 
depths  immeasurable  lie  beneath.    Well  might  the  poet  say, 

"  0  love,  thou  fathomless  abj'ss  !  " 

for  this  love  of  Christ  is  indeed  measureless  and  fathomless  ; 
none  can  attain  unto  it.  Before  we  can  have  any  right  idea 
of  the  love  of  Jesus,  we  must  understand  His  previous  glory 
in  its  height  of  majesty,  and  His  incarnation  upon  the  earth 
in  all  its  depths  of  shame.  But  who  can  tell  us  the  majesty 
of  Christ  ?  When  He  was  enthroned  in  the  highest  heavens 
He  was  very  God  of  very  God ;  by  Him  were  the  heavens 
made,  and  all  the  hosts  thereof.  His  own  almighty  arm 
upheld  the  spheres ;  the  praises  of  cherubim  and  seraphim 
perpetually  surrounded  Him  ;  the  full  chorus  of  the  Hallelu- 
jahs of  the  universe  unceasingly  flowed  to  the  foot  of  His 
throne  :  He  reigned  supreme  above  all  His  creatures,  God 
over  all,  blessed  forever.  Who  can  tell  His  height  of  glory 
then  ?  And  who,  on  the  other  hand,  can  tell  how  low  He 
descended  ?  To  be  a  man  was  something,  to  be  a  man  of 
sorrows  was  far  more;  to  bleed,  and  die,  and  suffer,  these 
were  much  for  Him  who  was  the  Son  of  God  ;  but  to  suff"er 
such  unparalleled  agony  —  to  endure  a  death  of  shame  and 
desertion  by  His  Father,  this  is  a  depth  of  condescending 
love  which  the  most  inspired  miad  must  utterly  fail  to  fathom. 
Herein  is  love  I  and  truly  it  is  love  that  "  passeth  knowledge." 
0  let  this  love  fill  our  hearts  with  adoring  gratitude,  aog 
le»d  us  to  practical  mauifestations  of  its  power ! 


March  29.  daily  eeadings.  89 

•*  Though  He  were  a  Son,  yet  learned  lie  obedience  by  the  things 
which  lie  sn/J'ered." — Hebrews  v.  8. 

y^E  are  told  that  the  Captain  of  our  salvation  was  made 
perfect  through  suffering ;  therefore  we  who  are  sin- 
ful, and  who  are  far  from  being  perfect,  must  not 
wonder  if  we  are  called  to  pass  through  suffering  too. 
Shall  the  head  be  crowned  with  thorns,  and  shall  the  other 
members  of  the  body  be  rocked  upon  the  dainty  lap  of  ease? 
Must  Christ  pass  through  seas  of  His  own  blood  to  win  the 
crown,  and  are  we  to  walk  to  heaven  dryshod  in  silver  slip- 
pers ?  No,  our  Master's  experience  teaches  us  that  suffer- 
ing is  necessary,  and  the  true-born  child  of  God  must  not, 
would  not,  escape  it  if  he  might.  But  there  is  one  very  com- 
forting thought  in  the  fact  of  Christ's  "  being  made  perfect 
through  suffering  "  —  it  is,  that  He  can  have  complete  sym- 
pathy with  us.  "  He  is  not  a  high  priest  that  cannot  be 
touched  with  the  feelings  of  our  infirmities."  In  this  sym- 
pathy of  Christ  we  find  a  sustaining  power.  One  of  the 
early  martyrs  said,  "  I  can  bear  it  all,  for  Jesus  suffered, 
and  He  suffers  in  me  now ;  He  sympathizes  with  me,  and 
this  makes  me  strong."  Believer,  lay  hold  of  this  thought 
in  all  times  of  agony.  Let  the  thought  of  Jesus  strengthen 
you  as  you  follow  in  His  steps.  Find  a  sweet  support  in 
His  sympathy ;  and  remember  that  to  suffer  is  an  honorable 
thing  —  to  suffer  for  Christ  is  glory.  The  Apostles  rejoiced 
that  they  were  counted  worthy  to  do  this.  Just  so  far  as 
the  Lord  shall  give  us  grace  to  suffer  for  Christ,  to  suffer 
with  Christ,  just  so  far  does  He  honor  us.  The  jewels  of  a 
Christian  are  his  afflictions.  The  regalia  of  the  kings  whom 
God  hath  anointed  are  their  troubles,  their  sorrows,  and 
their  griefs.  Let  us  not,  therefore,  shun  being  honored. 
Let  us  not  turn  aside  from  being  exalted.  Griefs  exalt  us, 
and  troubles  lift  us  up.  "  If  wo  suffer,  WO  shall  also  reign 
with  Him." 

8* 


90  DAILY  READINGS.  March  30. 

"He  teas  numbered  with  the  ti-ansyressors."  —  Isaiah  liii.  12. 

P|HY  did  Jesus  suffer  Himself  to  be  enrolled  amongst 
'l^/j^  sinners  ?  This  wonderful  condescension  was  justi- 
fied by  many  powerful  reasons.  In  such  a  character 
He  could  the  letter  become  their  advocate.  In  some  trials 
there  is  an  identification  of  the  counsellor  with  the  client ; 
nor  can  they  be  looked  upon  in  the  eye  of  the  law  as  apart 
from  one  another.  Now,  when  the  sinner  is  brought  to  the 
bar,  Jesus  appears  there  Himself.  He  stands  to  answer  the 
accusation.  He  points  to  His  side.  His  hands,  His  feet, 
and  challenges  Justice  to  bring  anything  against  the  sinners 
whom  He  represents ;  He  pleads  His  blood,  and  pleads  so 
triumphantly,  being  numbered  with  them,  and  having  a  part 
with  them,  that  the  Judge  proclaims,  "  Let  them  go  their 
way ;  deliver  them  from  going  down  into  the  pit,  for  He 
hath  found  a  ransom."  Our  Lord  Jesus  was  numbered  with 
the  transgressors  in  order  that  they  might  feel  their  hearts 
draxon  towards  Him.  Who  can  be  afraid  of  one  who  is 
written  in  the  same  list  with  us  ?  Surely  we  may  come 
boldly  to  Him,  and  confess  our  guilt.  He  who  is  numbered 
with  us  cannot  condemn  us.  Was  He  not  put  down  in  the 
transgressor's  list  that  loe  might  he  written  in  the  red  roll  oj 
the  saints  f  He  was  holy,  and  written  among  the  holy  :  we 
were  guilty,  and  numbered  among  the  guilty.  He  transfers 
His  name  from  yonder  list  to  this  black  indictment,  and  our 
names  are  taken  from  the  indictment,  and  written  in  the  roll 
of  acceptance,  for  there  is  a  complete  transfer  made  between 
Jesus  and  His  people.  All  our  estate  of  misery  and  sin 
Jesus  has  taken ;  and  all  that  Jesus  has  comes  to  us.  His 
righteousness.  His  blood,  and  everything  that  Pie  hath,  He 
gives  us  as  our  dowry.  Rejoice,  believer,  in  youi"  union  to 
Him  who  was  numbered  among  the  transgressors ;  and  prove 
that  you  are  truly  saved  by  being  uianifestly  numbered  witl 
those  who  are  new  creatuies  in  Him. 


March  31.  daily  eeapiXCs.  91 

"  With  His  stripes  we  are  healed." — Isaiah  liii.  5. 

^ILx\TE  delivered  our  Lord  to  the  lictors  to  be 
ipvJj  scourged.  The  Roman  scourge  was  a  most  dreadful 
^^^  instrument  of  torture.  It  was  made  of  the  sinewf 
of  oxen,  and  sharp  bones  were  intertwisted  every  here  and 
there  among  the  sinews  ;  so  that  every  time  the  lash  came 
down  these  pieces  of  bone  inflicted  fearful  laceration,  and 
tore  oif  tke  flesh  from  the  bone.  The  Saviour  was,  no 
doubt,  bound  to  the  column,  and  thus  beaten.  He  had 
been  beaten  before ;  but  this  of  the  Roman  lictors  was  prob- 
ably the  most  severe  of  His  flagellations.  My  soul,  stand 
here  and  weep  over  his  poor  stricken  body. 

Believer  in  Jesus,  can  3"ou  gaze  upon  Him  without  tears, 
as  He  stands  before  you  the  mirror  of  agonizing  love  ?  He 
is  at  once  fair  as  the  lily  for  innocence,  and  red  as  the  rose 
with  the  crimson  of  His  own  blood.  As  we  feel  the  sure 
and  blessed  healing  which  His  stripes  have  wrought  in  us, 
does  nui  our  heart  melt  at  once  with  love  and  grief?  If 
ever  we  have  loved  our  Lord  Jesus,  surely  we  must  feel 
that  aflFection  glowing  now  within  our  bosoms. 

"See  how  the  patient  Jesus  stands, 
In.sulted  in  Ilis  lowest  case  ! 
Sinners  have  bound  the  Ahnighty's  hands, 
And  spit  in  their  Creator's  face. 

With  thorns  His  temples  gored  and  gashed 
Send  streams  of  blood  from  every  part; 

His  back's  with  knotted  scourges  lashed, 
But  sharper  scourges  tear  His  heart." 

We  would  fain  go  to  our  chambers  and  weep ;  but,  since 
V  our  business  calls  us  away,  we  will  first  pray  our  Beloved  to 
print  the  image  of  His  bleeding  self  upon  the  tablets  of  our 
hearts  all  the  day,  and  at  nightfall  we  will  leturn  to  commune 
with  Him,  and  sorrow  that  our  sins  should  have  C03t  Him  so 
dear. 


92  DAILY    KEADINGS.  April  1 

"Ze<  Him  kiss  me  with  the  kisses  of  His  mouth,"  —  Cant.  i.  2. 

^Jl'V^OIl  several  days  we  have  been  dwelling  upon  the 
■^  Saviour's  passion,  and  for  some  little  time  to  come 
we  shall  linger  there.  In  beginning  a  new  mouth, 
let  us  seek  the  same  desires  after  our  Lord  as  those 
which  glowed  in  the  heart  of  the  elect  spouse.  See  how 
she  leaps  at  once  to  Him ;  there  are  no  prefatory  words ; 
she  does  not  iven  mention  His  name  ;  she  is  in  the  heart 
of  her  theme  at  once,  for  she  speaks  of  Him  who  was  the 
only  Him  in  the  world  to  her.  How  b.old  is  her  love  !  It 
was  much  condescension  which  permitted  the  weeping  peni- 
tent to  anoint  His  feet  with  spikenard  —  it  was  rich  love 
which  allowed  the  gentle  Mary  to  sit  at  His  feet,  and  learn 
of  Him  —  but  here  love,  strong,  fervent  love,  aspires  to 
higher  tokens  of  regard,  and  closer  signs  of  fellowship. 
Esther  trembled  in  the  presence  of  Ahashuerus,  but  the 
spouse  in  joyful  libei-ty  of  perfect  love  knows  no  fear.  If 
we  have  received  the  same  free  spirit,  we  also  may  ask  the 
like.  By  kisses  we  suppose  to  be  intended  those  varied 
manifestations  of  affection  by  which  the  believer  is  made  to 
enjoy  the  love  of  Jesus.  The  kiss  of  reconciliation  we  en- 
joyed at  our  conversion,  and  it  was  sweet  as  honey  dropping 
from  the  comb.  The  kiss  of  acceptance  is  still  warm  on  our 
brow,  as  we  know  that  He  hath  accepted  our  persons  and  our 
works  through  rich  grace.  The  kiss  of  daily,  present  comraU' 
nion  is  that  which  we  pant  after  to  be  repeated  day  after  day, 
till  it  is  changed  into  the  kiss  of  reception,  which  removes  the 
fcoul  from  earth,  and  the  kiss  of  consummation,  which  fills  it 
with  the  joy  of  heaven.  Faith  is  our  walk,  but  fellowship  sen- 
sibly felt  is  our  rest.  Faith  is  the  road,  but  communion  with 
Jesus  is  the  well  from  which  the  pilgrim  drinks.  0  lover  of 
our  souls,  be  not  strange  to  us ;  let  the  lips  of  Thy  blessing 
meet  the  lips  of  our  asking;  let  the  lips  of  Thy  fulness  touch 
the  lips  of  our  need,  and  straightway  the  kiss  will  be  eflFected. 


April  2.  DAILY    EF,AI)IK(iS.  98 


"He  answered  Tiim  to  never  a  word." —  Matthew  xxvii.  14. 

^E  had  never  been  slow  of  speech  when  He  could  bless 
Vj  the  sons  of  men,  but  He  would  not  say  a  single  word 
for  Himself.  "  Never  man  spake  like  this  man,"  and 
never  man  was  silent  like  Him.  Was  this  singular  silence 
the  index  of  His  -perfect  self-sacrifice  ?  Did  it  show  that  He 
would  not  utter  a  word  to  stay  the  slaughter  of  His  sacred 
person,  which  He  had  dedicated  as  an  offering  for  us  ?  Had 
He  so  entirely  surrendered  Himself  that  He  would  not  inter- 
fere in  His  own  behalf,  even  in  the  minutest  degree,  but  be 
bound  and  slain  an  unstruggling,  uncomplaining  victim  ? 
Was  this  silence  a  type  of  the  defencelessness  of  sin  ?  Noth- 
ing can  be  said  in  palliation  or  excuse  of  human  guilt ;  and, 
therefore.  He  who  bore  its  whole  weight  stood  speechless 
before  His  judge.  Is  not  patient  silence  the  lest  reply  to  a 
gainsaying  world  f  Calm  endurance  answers  some  questions 
infinitely  more  conclusively  than  the  loftiest  eloquence.  The 
best  apologists  for  Christianity  in  the  early  days  wore  its 
martyrs.  The  anvil  breaks  a  host  of  hammers  by  quietly 
bearing  their  blows.  Did  not  the  silent  Lamb  of  God  furnish 
us  with  a  grand  example  of  wisdom  ?  Where  every  word  was 
occasion  for  new  blasphemy,  it  was  the  line  of  duty  to  afford 
no  fuel  for  the  flame  of  sin.  The  ambiguous  and  the  false, 
the  unworthy  and  mean,  will  ere  long  overthrow  and  confute 
themselves,  and  therefore  the  true  can  afford  to  be  quiet, 
and  finds  silence  to  be  its  wisdom.  Evidently  our  Lord,  by 
His  silence,  furnished  a  remarkable  fulfilment  of  prophecy. 
A  long  defence  of  Himself  would  have  been  contrary  to 
Isaiah's  prediction  :  "  He  is  led  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter, 
and  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  He  openeth 
not  His  mouth."  By  His  quiet  He  conclusively  proved  Him- 
self to  be  the  true  Lamb  of  God.  As  such  we  salute  Hiru, 
this  morning.  ]]e  witli  us,  Jesus,  and  in  the  silence  of  oui 
heart  let  us  hoar  the  voice  of  Thy  love. 


94  DAtLV   liEAftlNGS.  A^ril  3- 

"  Tliey  took  Jesus,  and  led  Him  aicai/."  —  John  xix.  16. 

^^•pE  had  been  all  nigbt  in  agony.  He  had  spent  the  early 
.  \ji  morning  at  the  hall  of  Caiaphas.  He  had  been  hurried 
"^^^^^  from  Caiaphas  to  Pilate,  from  Pilate  to  Herod,  and 
from  Herod  back  again  to  Pilate.  He  had,  therefore,  but  little 
strength  left,  and  yet  neither  refreshment  nor  rest  was  per- 
mitted Him.  They  were  eager  for  His  blood,  and  therefore  led 
Him  out  to  die,  loaded  with  the  cross.  0  dolorous  procession ! 
Well  may  Salem's  daughters  weep.  My  soul,  do  thou  weep  also. 

What  learn  we  here  as  we  see  our  blessed  Lord  led  forth? 
Do  we  not  perceive  that  truth  which  was  set  forth  in  shadow 
hj  the  scapegoat?  Did  not  the  high-priest  bring  the  scape- 
goat, and  put  both  his  hands  upon  its  head,  confessing  the 
sins  of  the  people,  that  thus  those  sins  might  be  laid  upon 
the  goat,  and  cease  from  the  people  ?  Then  the  goat  was 
led  away  by  a  fit  man  into  the  wilderness,  and  it  carried 
away  the  sins  of  the  people  ;  so  that,  if  they  were  sought 
for,  they  could  not  be  found.  Now  we  see  Jesus  brought 
before  the  priests  and  rulers,  who  pronounce  Him  guilty. 
God  Himself  imputes  our  sins  to  Sim ;  "  the  Lord  hath  laid 
on  Him  the  iniquity  of  us  all;"  "He  was  made  sin  for  us;" 
and,  as  the  substitute  for  our  guilt,  bearing  our  sin  upon  His 
shoulders,  represented  by  the  cross,  we  see  the  great  Scape- 
goat led  away  by  the  appointed  officers  of  justice.  Beloved, 
can  you  feel  assured  that  He  carried  your  sin  ?  As  you 
look  at  the  cross  upon  His  shoulders,  does  it  represent  your 
sin  ?  There  is  one  way  by  which  you  can  tell  whether  He 
carried  your  sin  or  not.  Have  you  laid  your  hand  upon  His 
head,  confessed  your  sin,  and  trusted  in  Him  ?  Then  your 
sin  lies  not  on  you ;  it  has  all  been  transferred  by  blessed 
imputation  to  Christ,  and  He  bears  it  on  His  shoulder  as  a 
load  heavier  than  the  cross.  Let  not  the  picture  vanish  till 
you  have  rejoiced  in  your  own  deliverance,  and  adored  the 
loving  Redeemer  upon  whom  your  iniquities  were  laid. 


April  4.  DAllY   READINGS.  95 

**For  He  hath   made   Ilivi  to  he  sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin, 

that  toe  might  be  iinule  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Ilim." 

2  Corinthians  v.  21. 

H^OURNING  Christian!  why  weepest  thou  ?  Art  thou 
mourning  over  thine  own  corruptions  ?  Look  to  thy 
perfect  Lord,  and  remember,  thou  art  complete  in 
Him  ;  thou  art  in  God's  sight  as  perfect  as  if  thou  hadst  never 
sinned  ;  nay,  more  than  that,  the  Lord  our  Righteousness  hath 
put  a  divine  garment  upon  thee,  so  that  thou  hast  more  than 
the  righteousness  of  man  —  thou  hast  the  righteousness  of 
God.  0  thou  who  art  mourning  by  reason  of  inbred  sin  and 
depravity,  remember,  none  of  thy  sins  can  condemn  thee. 
Thou  hast  learned  to  hate  sin  ;  but  thou  hast  learned  also  to 
know  that  sin  is  not  thine  —  it  was  laid  upon  Christ's  head. 
Thy  standing  is  not  in  thyself —  it  is  in  Christ ;  thine  accept- 
ance is  not  in  thyself,  but  in  thy  Lord ;  thou  art  as  much 
accepted  of  God  to-day ,_  with  all  thy  sinfulness,  as  thou  wilt 
be  when  thou  standest  before  His  throne,  free  from  all 
corruption.  0,  I  beseech  thee,  lay  hold  on  this  precious 
thought,  perfection  in  Christ  I  For  thou  art  "  complete  in 
Him."  With  thy  Saviour's  garment  on,  thou  art  holy  as 
the  Holy  One.  "  Who  is  he  that  condemneth  ?  It  is  Christ 
that  died,  yea,  rather,  that  is  risen  again,  who  is  even  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,  who  also  maketh  intercession  for  us." 
Christian,  let  thy  heart  rejoice,  for  thou  art  "  accepted  in  the 
beloved  "  —  what  hast  thou  to  fear  ?  Let  thy  face  ever  wear 
a  smile ;  live  near  thy  Master ;  live  in  the  suburbs  of  the 
Celestial  City;  for  soon,  when  thy  time  has  come,  thou  shalt 
rise  up  where  thy  Jesus  sits,  and  reign  at  His  right  hand, 
even  as  He  has  overcome  and  has  sat  down  at  His  Father's 
right  hand  ;  and  all  this  because  the  divine  Lord  "  was  made 
to  be  sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin ;  that  we  might  be  mad« 
the  righteousneas  of  God  in  Him." 


96  t)AILY    READINGS.  April  5, 

"  On  him  they  laid  the  cross,  that  he  might  bear  it  after  Jestit.*' 
Luke  xxiii.  26. 

[^jE  see  in  Simon's  carrying  the  cross  a  picture  of  the 
Wm  work  of  the  Church  throughout  all  generations;  she 
^^  is  the  cross-bearer  after  Jesus.  Mark  then,  Chris- 
tian, Jesus  does  not  suffer  so  as  to  exclude  your  suffering. 
He  bears  a  cross,  not  that  you  may  escape  it,  but  that  you 
may  endure  it.  Christ  exempts  you  from  sin,  but  not  from 
Borrow.     Remember  that,  and  expect  to  suffer. 

But  let  us  comfort  ourselves  with  this  thought,  that  in  our 
case,  as  in  Simon's,  it  is  not  our  cross,  hut  Christ'' s  cross  which 
we  carry.  When  you  are  molested  for  your  piety,  when 
your  religion  brings  the  trial  of  cruel  mockings  upon  you, 
then  remember  it  is  not  yoiir  cross,  it  is  Christ's  cross ;  and 
how  delightful  is  it  to  carry  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  ! 

You  carry  the  cross  after  Him.  You  have  blessed  com- 
pany ;  your  path  is  marked  with  the  footprints  of  your  Lord. 
The  mark  of  His  blood-red  shoulder  is  upon  that  heavy  burden. 
'Tis  His  cross,  and  He  goes  before  you  as  a  shepherd  goes 
before  his  sheep.  Take  up  your  cross  daily,  and  follow  Him. 
Do  not  forget,  also,  that  you  hear  this  cross  in  partnership. 
It  is  the  opinion  of  some  that  Simon  only  carried  one  end  of 
the  cross,  and  not  the  whole  of  it.  That  is  very  possible ; 
Christ  may  have  carried  the  heavier  part,  against  the  trans- 
verse beam,  and  Simon  may  have  borne  the  lighter  end.  Cer- 
tainly it  is  so  with  you ;  you  do  but  carry  the  light  end  of 
the  cross,  Christ  bore  the  heavier  end. 

And  remember,  though  Simon  had  to  hear  the  cross  for  a 
very  little  while,  it  gave  him  lasting  honor.  Even  so  the  cross 
we  carry  is  only  for  a  little  while  at  most,  and  then  we  shall 
receive  the  crown,  the  glory  Surely  we  should  love  the  cross, 
and,  instead  of  shrinking  from  it,  count  it  very  dear,  when  it 
works  out  for  us  "a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight 
of  glory." 


April  6.  bxtLt  iiEAJ)tK08.  d7 

"  Let  us  go  forth  therefore  unto  Ilim  without  the  camp." 
Hebrews  xiii.  13. 


%M 


i;ESUS,  bearing  His  cross,  went  forth  to  suffer  without 
.^1  the  gate.  The  Christian's  reason  for  leaving  the  camp 
of  the  world's  sin  and  religion  is  not  because  he  loves 
to  be  singular,  but  because  Jesxis  did  so ;  and  the  disciple  must 
follow  his  Master.  Christ  was  "  not  of  the  world  :  "  Ilis  life 
and  His  testimony  were  a  constant  protest  against  conformity 
with  the  world.  Never  was  such  overflowing  affection  for  men 
as  you  find  in  Him  ;  but  still  He  was  separate  from  sinners. 
In  like  manner  Christ's  people  must  "go  forth  unto  Him." 
They  must  take  their  position  "  without  the  camp,"  as  witness- 
bearers  for  the  truth.  They  must  be  prepared  to  tread  the 
straight  and  narrow  path.  They  must  have  bold,  unflinching, 
lion-like  hearts,  loving  Christ  first,  and  His  truth  next,  and 
Christ  and  His  truth  beyond  all  the  world.  Jesus  would  have 
His  people  "  go  forth  without  the  camp  "  for  their  own  sane- 
tification.  You  cannot  grow  in  grace  to  any  high  degree 
while  you  are  conformed  to  the  world.  The  life  of  separa- 
tion may  be  a  path  of  sorrow,  but  it  is  the  highway  of  safety ; 
and  though  the  separated  life  may  cost  you  many  pangs,  and 
make  every  day  a  battle,  yet  it  is  a  happy  life  after  all.  No 
joy  can  excel  that  of  the  soldier  of  Christ ;  Jesus  reveals  Him- 
self so  graciously,  and  gives  such  sweet  refreshment,  that  the 
warrior  feels  more  calm  and  peace  in  his  daily  strife  than 
others  in  their  hours  of  rest.  The  highway  of  holiness  is  the 
highway  of  communion.  It  is  thus  we  shall  hope  to  xvln  the 
crown  if  we  are  enabled  by  divine  grace  faithfully  to  follow 
Christ  "  without  the  camp."  The  crown  of  glory  will  follow 
the  cross  of  separation.  A  moment's  shame  will  be  weil 
recompensed  by  eternal  honor;  a  little  while  of  witnesti. 
bearing  will  seem  nothing  when  we  are  "  forever  with  ti^ 
Lord." 

9 


&8  -  DAILY  BiiDiNfeS.  April  t. 

"  0  ye  tons  of  men,  how  long  will  ye  turn  my  glory  into  shamef" 
Psalm  iv.  2. 

"Jt^N  instructive  writer  has  made  a  mournful  list  of  the 
<n  honors  which  the  blinded  people  of  Israel  awarded  to 
their  long-expected  King.  (1.)  They  gave  Him  a 
-procession  of  honor,  in  which  Roman  legionaries,  Jewish 
priests,  men  and  women,  took  a  part,  He  Himself  bearing 
His  cross.  This  is  the  triumph  which  the  world  awards  to 
Him  who  comes  to  overthrow  man's  direst  foes.  Derisive 
shouts  are  His  only  acclamations,  and  cruel  taunts  His  only 
paeans  of  praise.  (2.)  They  presented  Him  with  the  wine  of 
honor.  Instead  of  a  golden  cup  of  generous  wine,  they  offered 
Him  the  criminal's  stupefying  death-draught,  which  He  re- 
fused because  He  would  preserve  an  uninjured  taste  where- 
with to  taste  of  death ;  and  afterwards  when  He  cried,  "  I 
thirst,"  they  gave  Him  vinegar  mixed  with  gall,  thrust  to  His 
mouth  upon  a  sponge.  Oh  !  wretched,  detestable  inhospi- 
tality  to  the  King's  Son.  (3.)  He  was  provided  with  a  guard 
of  honor,  who  showed  their  esteem  of  Him  by  gambling  over 
His  garments,  which  they  had  seized  as  their  booty.  Such 
was  the  body-guard  of  the  adored  of  heaven ;  a  quaternion 
of  brutal  gamblers.  (4.)  A  throne  of  honor  was  found  for 
Him  upon  the  bloody  tree ;  no  easier  place  of  rest  would 
rebel  men  yield  to  their  liege  Lord.  The  cross  was,  in  fact, 
the  full  expression  of  the  world's  feeling  towards  Him. 
■"  There,"  they  seemed  to  say,  "  Thou  Son  of  Grod,  this  is  the 
•manner  in  which  Grod  Himself  should  be  treated,  could  we 
reach  Him."  (5.)  The  title  of  honor  was  nominally  "King 
■of  the  Jews,"  but  that  the  blinded  nation  distinctly  repudi- 
ated, and  really  called  Him  "  King  of  thieves,"  by  preferring 
IJarabbas,  and  by  placing  Jesus  in  the  place  of  highest  shame 
J)ctween  two  thieves.  His  glory  was  thus  in  all  things  turned 
into  shame  by  the  sous  of  men,  but  it  shall  yet  gladden  the 
eyes  of  saints  and  angels,  world  without  end. 


April  8.  DATLT   READINGS.  90 

"  If  ihcy  do  these  things  in  a  green  tree,  what  shall  he  done  in  the 
(ir;/?"  — Lukexxiii.  31. 

'MONG  other  interpretations  of  this  suggestive  ques- 
^  tion,  the  following  is  full  of  teaching  :  "  If  I,  the  in- 
nocent substitute  for  sinners,  suffer  thus,  what  will 
be  done  when  the  sinner  himself — the  dry  tree —  shall  fall 
into  the  hands  of  an  angry  God  ?  "  When  God  saw  Jesus  in 
the  sinner's  place,  He  did  not  spare  Him  ;  and  when  He  finds 
the  unre^enerate  without  Christ,  He  will  not  spare  them.  0 
sinner,  Jesus  was  led  away  by  His  enemies :  so  shall  you  be 
dragged  away  by  fiends  to  the  place  appointed  for  you. 
Jesus  was  deserted  of  God ;  and  if  He,  who  was  only  im- 
putedly  a  sinner,  was  deserted,  how  much  more  shall  you  be ! 
"  Eloi,  Eloi,  lama,  sabachthani  !  "  what  an  awful  shriek ! 
But  what  shall  be  your  cry  when  you  shall  say,  "  0  God ' 
0  God  !  why  hast  Thou  forsaken  me  ? "  and  the  answer  shall 
come  back,  "  Because  ye  have  set  at  nought  all  My  counsel, 
and  would  none  of  My  reproof,  I  also  will  laugh  at  your 
calamity ;  I  will  mock  when  your  fear  cometh "  ?  If  God 
spared  not  His  own  Son,  how  much  less  will  He  spare  you  ! 
What  whips  of  burning  wire  will  be  yours  when  conscience 
shall  smite  you  with  all  its  terrors  !  Ye  richest,  ye  merriest, 
ye  most  self-righteous  sinners,  who  would  stand  in  your 
place  when  God  shall  say,  "  Awake,  0  sword,  against  the 
man  that  rejected  Me;  smite  him,  and  let  him  feel  the 
smart  forever  "  ?  Jesus  was  spit  upon  :  sinner,  what  shame 
will  be  yours  !  We  cannot  sum  up  in  one  word  all  the  mass 
of  sorrows  which  met  upon  the  head  of  Jesus,  who  died  for 
us  ;  therefore  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  tell  you  what  streams, 
what  oceans  of  grief,  must  roll  over  yoiLr  spirit  if  you  die  aa 
you  now  are-  You  may  die  so,  you  maj'  die  now.  By  the 
agonies  of  Christ,  by  His  wounds  and  by  His  blood,  do  not 
bring  upon  yourselves  the  wratli  to  come  !  Trust  in  the  Sod 
of  God,  and  you  shall  never  die. 


100  DAILY   REAt):NG8.  April  &. 

"And  there  followed  Him  a  great  company  oj"  people,  and  of  iro- 
men,  which  also  bewailed  and  lamented  him."  —  Luke  xxiii.  27. 

>,_.  J3IID  the  rabble  rout  which  hounded  the  Redeemer  to 
Hj^  His  doom,  there  were  some  gracious  souls  whose 
'^^^^  bitter  anguish  sought  vent  in  wailing  and  lamenta- 
tions—  fit  music  to  accompany  that  march  of  woe.  When 
my  soul  can,  in  imagination,  see  the  Saviour  bearing  Hia 
cross  to  Calvary,  she  joins  the  godly  women  and  weeps  with 
them  ;  for,  indeed,  there  is  true  cause  for  grief — cause  lying 
deeper  than  those  mourning  women  thought.  They  bewailed 
innocence  maltreated,  goodness  persecuted,  love  bleeding, 
meekness  about  to  die  ;  but  my  heart  has  a  deeper  and  more 
bitter  cause  to  mourn.  My  sins  were  the  scourges  which 
lacerated  those  blessed  shoulders,  and  crowned  with  thorn 
those  bleeding  brows  :  my  sins  cried,  "  Crucify  Him  !  crucify 
Him  !  "  and  laid  the  cross  upon  His  gracious  shoulders.  Hia 
being  led  forth  to  die  is  sorrow  enough  for  one  eternity :  but 
my  having  been  His  murderer,  is  more,  indefinitely  more, 
grief  than  one  poor  fountain  of  tears  can  express. 

Why  those  women  loved  and  wept  it  were  not  hard  to  guess  ; 
but  they  could  not  have  had  greater  reasons  for  love  and 
grief  than  my  heart  has.  Nain's  widow  saw  her  son  restored 
—  but  I  myself  have  been  raised  to  newness  of  life.  Peter's 
wife's  mother  was  cured  of  the  fever  —  but  I  of  the  greater 
plague  of  sin.  Out  of  Magdalene  seven  devils  were  cast  — 
but  a  whole  legion  out  of  me.  Mary  and  Martha  were 
favored  with  visits  —  but  He  dwells  with  me.  His  mother 
bare  his  body  —  but  He  is  formed  in  me  the  hope  of  glory. 
In  nothing  behind  the  holy  women  in  debt,  let  me  not 
be  behind  them  in  gratitude  or  sorrow. 

"Love  and  grief  my  heart  dividing, 
With  my  tears  His  feet  I'll  lave  — 
Constant  still  in  heart  abiding, 
Weep  for  Him  who  died  to  save.** 


April   10.  bAILY    READINGS.  101 

"  'Die place  tchich  is  called  Calvaiij."  —  Luke  xxiii.  33. 

SHE  hill  of  comfort  is  the  hill  of  Calvary  ;  the  house  of 
consolation  is  built  with  the  wood  of  the  cross  ;  the 
temple  of  heavenly  blessing  is  founded  upon  the  riveo 
rock — riven  by  the  spear  which  pierced  His  side.  No  scene  in 
eacred  history  ever  gladdens  the  soul  like  Calvary's  tragedy. 

"  Is  it  not  strant^e,  the  darkest  hour 
That  ever  dawned  on  sinful  earth 
Should  touch  the  heart  with  softer  power, 
For  comfort,  than  an  angel's  mirth  ? 
That  to  the  Cross  the  mourner's  eye  should  turn, 
Sooner  than  where  the  stars  of  Bethlehem  burn  ?  " 

Light  springs  from  the  midday-midnight  of  Golgotha,  and 
every  herb  of  the  field  blooms  sweetly  beneath  the  shadow 
of  the  once  accursed  tree.  In  that  place  of  thirst,  grace 
hath  dug  a  fountain  which  ever  gushcth  with  waters  pure  as 
crystal,  each  drop  capable  of  alleviating  the  woes  of  mankind. 
You  who  have  had  your  seasons  of  conflict,  will  confess  that 
it  was  not  at  Olivet  that  you  ever  found  comfort,  not  on  the 
hill  of  Sinai,  nor  on  Tabor ;  but  Gethsemaue,  Gabbatha,  and 
Golgotha  have  been  a  means  of  comfort  to  you.  The  bitter 
herbs  of  Gcthsemane  have  often  taken  away  the  bitters  of 
your  life  ;  the  scourge  of  Gabbatha  has  often  scourged  away 
your  cares,  and  the  groans  of  Calvary  have  put  all  other 
groans  to  flight.  Thus  Calvary  yields  us  comfort  rare  and 
rich.  We  never  should  have  known  Christ's  love  in  all  ks 
heights  and  depths  if  He  had  not  died  ;  nor  could  we  guess 
the  Father's  deep  afi'ectiou  if  He  had  not  given  His  Son  to 
die.  The  common  mercies  we  enjoy  all  sing  of  love,  just  as 
the  sea-shell,  when  we  put  it  to  our  ears,  whispers  of  the 
deep  sea  whence  it  came  ;  but  if  we  dcsirQ  to  hear  the  ocean 
itself,  we  must  not  look  at  every-day  blessings,  but  at  the 
transactions  of  the  crucifixion.  He  who  would  know  love,  ie* 
him  retire  to  Calvary  and  see  the  Man  of  sorrows  die. 
9* 


.02  i)AiLv  REAbiNGS.  April  11. 


"/  am  poured  out  like  water,  and  all  my  bones  are  out  of  joints* 
Psaim  xxii.  14. 

PlS^f  ID  earth  or  heaven  ever  behold  a  sadder  spectacle  of 
^|^,ij  woe  ?  In  soul  and  body,  our  Lord  felt  Himself  to  bo 
'^*^^  weak  as  water  poured  upon  the  ground.  The  placing 
of  the  cross  in  its  socket  had  shaken  Him  with  great  violence, 
had  strained  all  the  ligaments,  pained  every  nerve,  and  more 
or  less  dislocated  all  His  bones.  Burdened  with  His  own 
weight,  the  august  Sufferer  felt  the  strain  increasing  every 
moment  of  those  six  long  hours.  His  sense  of  faintness  and 
general  weakness  was  overpowering ;  while  to  His  own 
consciousness  He  became  nothing  but  a  mass  of  misery  and 
swooning  sickness.  When  Daniel  saw  the  great  vision,  he 
thus  describes  his  sensations :  "  There  remained  no  strength 
in  me,  for  my  vigor  was  turned  into  corruption,  and  I  re- 
tained no  strength  :"  how  much  more  faint  must  have  been 
our  greater  Prophet  when  He  saw  the  dread  vision  of  the 
wrath  of  God,  and  felt  it  in  His  own  soul  !  To  us,  sensations 
8uch  as  our  Lord  endured  would  have  been  insupportable, 
and  kind  unconsciousness  would  have  come  to  our  rescue ; 
but  in  His  case,  He  was  wounded,  and  felt  the  sword ;  He 
drained  the  cup  and  tasted  every  drop. 

"  0  King  of  Grief!  (a  title  strange,  yet  true, 
To  Thte  of  all  kings  only  due,"> 
O  King  of  Wounds !  how  shall  I  grieve  for  Thee, 
Who  in  all  grief  preventest  me  !  " 

As  we  kneel  before  our  now  ascended  Saviour's  throne,  let 
us  remember  well  the  way  by  which  He  prepared  it  as  a 
throne  of  grace  for  us  ;  let  us  in  spirit  drink  of  His  cup,  that 
we  may  be  strengthened  for  our  hour  of  heaviness  whenever 
it  may  come.  In  His  natural  body  every  member  suffered, 
and  so  must  it  be  in  the  spiritual ;  but  as  out  of  all  His  griefs 
and  woes  His  body  came  fortli  uninjured  to  glory  and  power, 
even  so  shall  His  mystical  body  come  through  the  fuinaoe 
with  not  so  much  as  the  smell  of  fire  upon  it. 


April  li.  i>AII,Y    RKAl>tjt6§.  I6d 

*"  My  heart  is  like  wax ;  it  is  melted  in  the  midst  of  my  bowels." 
Psalm  xxii.  14. 

^(^iiPSfPUR  blessed  Lord  experienced  a  terrible  sinking  and 
melting  of  soul.  "  The  spirit  of  a  man  will  sustain 
^^  his  infirmity,  but  a  wounded  spirit  who  can  bear  ?  " 
Deep  depression  of  spirit  is  the  most  grievous  of  all  trials;  all 
besides  is  as  nothing.  Well  might  the  suifering  Saviour  cry 
to  His  God,  "  Be  not  far  from  me,"  for  above  all  other  sea- 
Bons  a  man  needs  his  God  when  his  lioart  is  melted  within 
him  because  of  heaviness.  Believer,  come  near  the  cross 
this  morning,  and  humbly  adore  the  King  of  glory  as  having 
once  been  brought  far  lower,  in  mental  distress  and  inward 
anguish,  than  any  one  among  us;  and  mark  Ilis  fitness  to  be- 
come a  faithful  High  Priest,  who  can  be  touched  with  a  feeling 
of  our  infirmities.  Especially  let  those  of  us  whose  sadness 
springs  directly  from  the  withdrawal  of  a  present  sense  of 
our  Father's  love,  enter  into  near  and  intimate  communion 
with  Jesus.  Let  us  not  give  way  to  despair,  since  through 
this  dark  room  the  Master  has  passed  before  us.  Our  souls 
may  sometimes  long  and  faint,  and  thirst  even  to  anguish,  to 
behold  the  light  of  the  Lord's  countenance :  at  such  times  let 
us  stay  ourselves  with  the  sweet  fact  of  the  sympathy  of  our 
great  High  Priest.  Our  drops  of  sorrow  may  well  be  forgot- 
ten in  the  ocean  of  His  griefs ;  but  how  high  ought  our  love 
to  rise  !  Come  in,  0  strong  and  deep  love  of  Jesus,  like  the 
sea  at  the  flood  in  spring  tides,  cover  all  my  powers,  drown 
all  my  sins,  wash  out  all  my  cares,  lift  up  my  earth-bound 
soul,  and  float  it  right  up  to  my  Lord's  feet,  and  there  let 
me  lie,  a  poor  broken  shell,  washed  up  by  His  love,  having 
DO  virtue  or  value;  and  only  venturing  to  whisper  to  Him  that 
if  He  will  put  His  car  to  me.  He  will  hear  within  my  heart 
faint  echoes  of  the  vast  waves  of  His  own  love  which  have 
brought  me  where  it  is  my  delight  to  lie,  even  at  His  feci 
forever. 


104  DAILY    READINGS  AprK  i^ 

"  A  bundle  of  myrrh  is  my  well-beloved  unto  me."  —  Cant.  i.  iu 


Pa 


HYRRH  may  well  be  chosen  as  the  type  of  Jesiis  OD 
^|fl|  account  of  its  preciousness,  its  perfume,  its  pleasa  it- 
~*  ness,  its  healing,  preserving,  disinfecting  qualities,  and 
its  connection  with  sacrifice.  But  why  is  He  compared  to  "  a 
handle  of  myrrh  "  ?  First,  for  plenty.  He  is  not  a  drop  of 
it,  He  is  a  casket  full.  He  is  not  a  sprig  or  flower  of  it,  bul 
a  whole  bundle.  There  is  enough  in  Christ  for  all  my  neces« 
sities  ;  let  me  not  be  slow  to  avail  myself  of  Him.  Our  well- 
beloved  is  compared  to  a  "  bundle,"  again,  for  variety  ;  for 
there  is  in  Christ  not  only  the  one  thing  needful,  but  "in  Him 
dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily ; "  everything 
needful  is  in  Him.  Take  Jesus  in  His  diff'erent  characters, 
and  you  will  see  a  marvellous  variety  —  Prophet,  Priest, 
King,  Husband,  Friend,  Shepherd.  Considei  Him  in  His 
life,  death,  resurrection,  ascension,  second  adv',ut;  view  Him 
in  His  virtue,  gentleness,  courage,  self-deniai,  love,  faithful- 
ness, truth,  righteousness  —  everywhere  He  is  a  bundle  of 
preciousness.  He  is  a  "  bundle  of  myr/h  '  fbr  preservation 
—  not  loose  myrrh,  to  be  dropped  on  the  rloor  or  trodden  on, 
but  myrrh  tied  up,  myrrh  to  be  stored  \u  a  casket.  We  must 
value  Him  as  our  best  treasure ;  we  must  prize  His  words 
and  His  ordinances  ;  and  we  must  ke^'p  our  thoughts  of  Him 
and  knowledge  of  Him  as  under  look  and  key,  lest  the  devil 
should  steal  anything  from  us.  Moreover  Jesus  is  a  "  bundle 
of  myrrh"  for  speciality ;  the  eH/olem  suggests  the  idea  ot 
distinguishing,  discriminating  grioe.  From  before  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world.  He  was  set  apart  for  His  people ;  and 
He  gives  forth  His  perfume  ohly  to  those  who  understand 
how  to  enter  into  communion  \^ith  Him,  to  have  close  deal- 
ings with  Him.  Oh  !  blessed  poople  whom  the  Lord  hath  ad- 
mitted into  His  secrets,  and  for  whom  He  sets  Himself  apart. 
Oh  !  choice  and  happy  who  are  thus  made  to  say,  "  A  bun- 
dle of  myrrh  is  m}-  well-beloved  unto  me  " 


April  14.  1)A1LY    RKADINOS.  lOA 

"  All  they  that  see  me  lauyh  vie  to  scorn:  they  shoot  oitt  the  lip, 
they  shake  the  head."  — Psalm  xxii.  7. 

fi?|^i|OCKEllY  was  a  great  iiigrccHont  in  our  Lord's  woe. 
c^lll^  Judas  mocked  Ilim  in  the  garden  ;  the  chief  priests 
^^^^"7  and  scribes  laughed  Him  to  scorn  ;  Herod  set  Him 
at  nought ;  the  servants  and  the  soldiers  jeered  at  Him,  and 
brutally  insulted  Him ;  Pilate  and  his  guards  ridiculed  His 
royalty ;  and  on  the  tree  all  sorts  of  horrid  jests  and  hideous 
taunts  were  hurled  at  Him.  Ridicule  is  always  hard  to  bear  ; 
but  when  we  are  in  intense  pain  it  is  so  heartless,  so  cruel, 
that  it  cuts  us  to  the  quick.  Imagine  the  Saviour  crucified, 
racked  with  anguish  far  beyond  all  mortal  guess,  and  then 
picture  that  motley  multitude,  all  wagging  their  heads  or 
thrusting  out  the  lip  in  bitterest  contempt  of  one  poor  suffer- 
ing victim !  Surely  there  must  have  been  something  more 
in  the  crucified  One  than  they  could  see,  or  else  such  a  great 
and  mingled  crowd  would  not  unanimously  have  honored  Him 
with  such  contempt.  "Was  it  not  evil  confessing,  in  the  very 
moment  of  its  greatest  apparent  triumph,  that  after  all  it 
could  do  no  more  than  mock  at  that  victorious  goodness 
which  was  then  reigning  on  the  cross  ?  0  Jesus,  "  despised 
and  rejected  of  men,"  how  couldst  Thou  die  for  men  who 
treated  Thee  so  ill  ?  Herein  is  love  amazing,  love  divine, 
yea,  love  beyond  degree.  We,  too,  have  despised  Thee  in 
the  days  of  our  unregeneracy,  and  even  since  our  new  birth 
we  have  set  the  world  on  high  in  our  hearts,  and  yet  Thou 
bleedest  to  heal  our  wounds,  and  diest  to  give  up  life.  O  that 
we  could  set  Thee  on  a  glorious  high  throne  in  all  men's 
hearts  !  We  would  ring  out  Thy  praises  over  land  and  sea 
till  men  should  as  universally  adore  as  once  they  d»d  tinaDi> 
mously  reject. 

"Thy  creatures  wrong  Thee,  0  Thou  sovereign  Gaai' 
Thoti  art  not  loved,  because  not  understood : 
This  grieves  me  most,  that  vain  pursuits  beguile 
Ungrateful  men,  regardless  of  Thy  smile." 


106  Daily  heaIjings.  April  15 

"ilfy  God,  my  Ood,  why  hast  Tliou  forsaken  me9"  —  Psalm  xxii.  1. 

il^E  here  behold  the  Saviom-  in  the  depth  of  His  sor- 
'Mi  rows.  No  other  place  So  well  shows  the  griefs  of 
■^  Christ  as  Calvary,  and  no  other  moment  at  Calvary 
is  so  full  of  agony  as  that  in  which  His  cry  rends  the  air  — 
*'  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  Thou  forsaken  me  ?"  At  this 
moment  physical  weakness  was  united  with  acute  mental  tor- 
ture from  the  shame  and  ignominy  through  which  He  had  to 
pass  ;  and  to  make  His  grief  culminate  with  emphasis,  He 
suffered  spiritual  agony  surpassing  all  expression,  resulting 
from  the  departure  of  His  Father's  presence.  This  was  the 
black  midnight  of  His  horror  ;  then  it  was  that  He  descended 
the  abyss  of  suffering.  No  man  can  enter  into  the  full  mean- 
ing of  these  words.  Some  of  us  think  at  times  that  we  could 
cry,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ? " 
There  are  seasons  when  the  brightness  of  our  Father's  smile 
is  eclipsed  by  clouds  and  darkness  ;  but  let  us  remember 
that  God  never  does  really  forsake  us.  It  is  only  a  seeming 
forsaking  with  us,  but  in  Christ's  case  it  was  a  real  forsaking. 
We  grieve  at  a  little  withdrawal  of  our  Father's  love ;  but 
the  real  turning  away  of  God's  face  from  His  Son,  who  shall 
calculate  how  deep  the  agony  which  it  caused  Him  ? 

In  our  case,  our  cry  is  often  dictated  by  unbelief:  in  His 
case,  it  was  the  utterance  of  a  dreadful  fact,  for  God  had 
really  turned  away  from  Him  for  a  season.  0  thou  poor, 
distressed  soul,  who  once  lived  in  the  sunshine  of  God's 
face,  but  art  now  in  darkness,  remember  that  He  has  not 
really  forsaken  thee.  God  in  the  clouds  is  as  much  our 
God  as  when  He  shines  forth  in  all  the  lustre  of  His  grace ; 
but  since  even  the  thought  that  He  has  forsaken  us  gives  ua 
agony,  what  must  the  woe  of  the  Saviour  have  been  when 
He  exclaimed,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 
me?" 


April  16.  DAILY   HEAOiNdS.  107 


"  The  precious  blood  of  Christ"—  1  Peter  i.  19 

(iTANDING  at  tlie  foot  of  the  cross,  wo  see  hands, 
and  feet,  and  side,  all  distilling  crimson  streams  of 
precious  blood.  It  is  "  precious  "  because  of  its  rt- 
deeming  and  atoning  (fficacij.  By  it  the  sins  of  Christ's  peo- 
ple are  atoned  for;  they  are  redeemed  from  under  the  law; 
they  are  reconciled  to  God,  made  one  with  Ilim.  Christ's 
lilood  is  also  "precious"  in  its  cleansing  potver ;  it  "  cleans- 
eth  from  all  sin."  "  Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they 
shall  be  as  white  as  snow."  Through  Jesus'  blood  there  is 
not  a  spot  left  upon  any  believer ;  no  wrinkle,  nor  any  such 
thing,  remains.  0  precious  blood,  which  makes  us  clean, 
removing  the  stains  of  abundant  iniquity,  and  permitting  us 
to  stand  accepted  in  the  Beloved,  notwithstanding  the  many 
wa^'s  in  which  we  have  rebelled  against  our  God  1  The  blood 
of  Christ  is  likewise  "  precious  "  in  its  preserving  power.  We 
are  safe  from  the  destroying  angel  under  the  sprinkled  blood. 
Remember,  it  is  God's  seeing  the  blood  which  is  the  true 
reason  for  our  being  spared.  Here  is  comfort  for  us  when 
the  eye  of  faith  is  dim,  for  God's  eye  is  still  the  same.  The 
blood  of  Christ  is  "precious"  also  in  its  sanctifying  influ- 
ence. The  same  blood  which  justifies  by  taking  away  sin, 
does,  in  after-action,  quicken  the  new  nature,  and  lead  it 
onward  to  subdue  sin,  and  to  follow  out  the  commands  of 
God.  There  is  no  motive  for  holiness  so  great  as  that 
which  streams  from  the  veins  of  Jesus.  And  "precious," 
unspeakably  precious,  is  this  blood,  because  it  has  an  over' 
coming  power.  It  is  written,  "  They  overcame  through  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb."  How  could  they  do  otherwise  ?  He  who 
fights  with  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus  fights  with  a  weapon 
which  cannot  know  defeat.  The  blood  of  Jesus  !  Sin  dies 
at  its  presence,  death  ceases  to  be  death;  heaven's  gates  are 
ooened.  The  blood  of  Jesus !  We  shall  march  on,  con- 
quering and  to  conquer,  so  long  as  wt  can  trust  its  power  1 


108  DAtLY   itEAUlNGS.  April  17. 

"  We  are  come  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling,  that  speaketh  better  things 
than  that  of  Abel." — Hebrews  xii.  24. 

E ADER,  have  you  come  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling  ? 
"^  The  question  is  not  whether  you  have  come  to  a 
knowledge  of  doctrine,  or  an  observance  of  ceremo- 
nies, or  to  a  certain  form  of  experience,  but  have  you  come 
to  the  blood  of  Jesus  ?  The  blood  of  Jesus  is  the  life  of  all 
vital  godliness.  If  you  have  truly  come  to  Jesus,  we  know 
how  you  came  —  the  Holy  Spirit  sweetly  brought  you  there. 
You  came  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling  with  no  merits  of  your 
own.  Guilty,  lost,  and  helpless,  you  came  to  take  that  blood, 
and  that  blood  alone,  as  your  everlasting  hope.  You  came 
to  the  cross  of  Christ  with  a  trembling  and  an  aching  heart ; 
and  oh  !  what  a  precious  sound  it  was  to  you  to  hear  the 
voice  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  !  The  dropping  of  His  blood  is 
as  the  music  of  heaven  to  the  penitent  sons  of  earth.  We 
are  full  of  sin,  but  the  Saviour  bids  us  lift  our  eyes  to  Him, 
and,  as  we  gaze  upon  His  streaming  wounds,  each  drop 
of  blood,  as  it  falls,  cries,  "  It  is  finished ;  I  have  made  an 
end  of  sin ;  1  have  brought  in  everlasting  righteousness." 
Oh  !  sweet  language  of  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus  !  If  you 
have  come  to  that  blood  once,  you  will  come  to  it  constantly. 
Your  life  will  be  "  looking  unto  Jesus."  Your  whole  con- 
duct will  be  epitomized  in  this  —  "  To  whom  coming."  Not 
to  whom  I  have  come,  but  to  whom  I  am  always  coming.  If 
thou  hast  ever  come  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling,  thou  wilt 
feel  thy  need  of  coming  to  it  every  day.  He  who  does  not 
desire  to  wash  in  that  every  day  has  never  washed  in  it  at 
all.  The  believer  ever  feels  it  to  be  his  joy  and  privilege 
that  there  is  still  a  fountain  opened.  Past  experiences  are 
doubtful  food  for  Christians :  a  present  coming  to  Christ  alone 
can  give  us  joy  and  comfort.  This  morning  let  U3  sprinkle 
our  door-post  fresh  with  blood,  and  then  feast  uf  jc  che  Laib^ 
assured  that  the  destroying  angel  must  pass  ufl  bj. 


April   18.  DAILY    READINGS.  109 

"She  bound  the  scarlet  line  in  the  window"  —  Joshua  ii.  21. 


1 


'|^"'<?AIIAli  depended  for  her  preservation  upon  the  prom- 
p.lj  V}*j  ise  of  the  spins,  whom  she  looked  upon  as  the  repre- 
**^^^  sentatives  of  the  God  of  Israel.  Her  faith  was  simple 
and  firm,  but  it  was  very  obedient.  To  tie  the  scarlet  line  in 
the  window  was  a  very  trivial  act  in  itself,  but  she  dared  not 
run  the  risk  of  omitting  it.  Come,  my  soul,  is  there  not  here 
a  lesson  for  thee  ?  Hast  thou  been  attentive  to  all  thy  Lord's 
will,  even  though  some  of  His  commands  should  seem  non- 
essential ?  Ilast  thou  observed  in  His  own  way  tlie  two  or- 
dinances of  believers'  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  ?  These 
neglected,  argue  much  unloving  disobedience  in  thy  heart. 
Be  henceforth  in  all  things  blameless,  even  to  the  tying  of  a 
thread,  if  that  be  matter  of  command. 

This  act  of  Rahab  sets  forth  a  yet  more  solemn  lesson. 
Have  I  implicitly  trusted  in  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus  ? 
Have  I  tied  the  scarlet  cord,  as  with  a  gordian  knot,  in  my 
window,  so  that  my  trust  can  never  be  removed  ?  Or  can  I 
look  out  towards  the  Dead  Sea  of  my  sins,  or  the  Jerusalem 
of  my  hopes,  without  seeing  the  blood,  and  seeing  all  things 
in  connection  with  its  blessed  power  ?  The  passer-by  can  se« 
a  cord  of  so  conspicuous  a  color,  if  it  hangs  from  the  window  : 
it  will  be  well  for  me  if  my  life  makes  the  efficacy  of  the  atone- 
ment conspicuous  to  all  onlookers.  What  is  there  to  be 
ashamed  of?  Let  men  or  devils  gaze  if  they  will ;  the  blood 
is  my  boast  and  my  song.  My  soul,  tliere  is  One  who  will 
see  that  scarlet  line,  even  when  from  weakness  of  faith  thou 
canst  not  see  it  thyself;  Jehovah,  the  Avenger,  will  see  it 
and  pass  over  thee.  Jericho's  walls  fell  flat ;  Rahab's  house 
was  on  the  wall,  and  yet  it  stood  unmoved ;  my  nature  ia 
built  into  the  wall  of  humanity  and  yet  when  destruction 
emites  the  race,  I  shall  be  secure.  My  soul,  tie  the  scarlet 
thread  in  the  windo  v  afresh,  and  rest  in  peace. 


110  DA.il Y    EEADINGS.  April  19. 

^Behold,  the  vail  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain  from  the  top 
to  the  bottom."  —  Matthew  xx^ii.  51. 

%^0  mean  miracle  was  wrought  in  the  rending  of  «o 
'§  strong  and  thick  a  veil ;  but  it  was  not  intended 
merely  as  a  display  of  power  —  many  lessons  were 
herein  taught  us.  The  old  laio  of  ordinances  was  put  away, 
and  like  a  worn-out  vesture,  rent  and  laid  aside.  When  Jesus 
died,  the  sacrifices  were  all  finished,  because  all  fulfilled  in 
Bim,  and  therefore  the  place  of  their  presentation  was  marked 
with  an  evident  token  of  decay.  That  rent  also  revealed  all 
the  hidden  things  of  the  old  dispensation  :  the  mercy-peat  could 
now  be  seen,  and  the  glory  of  God  gleamed  forth  above  it. 
By  the  death  of  our  Lord  Jesus  we  have  a  clear  revelation 
of  God,  for  He  was  "  not  as  Moses,  who  put  a  veil  over  his 
face."  Life  and  immortality  are  now  brought  to  light,  and 
things  which  have  been  hidden  since  the  foundation  of  the 
world  are  manifest  in  Him.  The  annual  ceremony  of  atone- 
ment was  thus  abolished.  The  atoning  blood,  which  was  once 
every  year  sprinkled  within  the  vail,  was  now  offered  once  for 
all  by  the  great  High  Priest,  and  therefore  the  place  of  the 
symbolical  rite  was  broken  up.  No  blood  of  bullocks  or  of 
lambs  is  needed  now,  for  Jesus  has  entered  within  the  vail 
with  His  own- blood.  Hence  access  to  God  is  now  permittedy 
and  is  the  privilege  of  every  believer  in  Christ  Jesus,  There 
is  no  small  space  laid  open  through  which  we  may  peer  at  the 
mercy-seat,  but  the  rent  reaches  from  the  top  to  the  bottom. 
We  may  come  with  boldness  to  the  throne  of  the  heavenly 
grace.  Shall  we  err  if  we  say  that  the  opening  of  the  Holy  of 
Holies  in  this  marvellous  manner  by  our  Lord's  expiring  cry 
was  the  type  of  the  opening  of  the  gates  of  paradise  to  all  the 
Baints  by  virtue  of  the  Passion  ?  Our  bleeding  Lord  hath  the 
key  of  heaven  ;  He  openeth  and  no  man  shutteth  ;  let  us  enter 
in  with  Him  into  the  heavenly  places,  and  sit  with  Him  there 
till  our  common  enemies  shall  be  made  His  footstool. 


April  20.  DAILY    RKAniNGS.  Ill 

"  Tliat  through  death   lie  might  destroy  him  that  had  the  power 
of  death."  —  Hebrews  ii.  14. 

^5=^  CHILD  of  God,  death  hath  lost  its  sting,  because  the 
^  devil's  power  over  it  is  destroyed.  Then  cease  to 
'''  fear  dying.  Ask  grace  from  God  the  Holy  Ghost, 
that  by  an  intimate  knowledge  and  a  firm  belief  of  thy  lle- 
decmer's  death,  thou  mayst  be  strengthened  for  that  dread 
hour.  Living  near  the  cross  of  Calvary,  thou  mayst  think 
of  death  with  pleasure,  and  welcome  it  when  it  comes  with 
intense  delight.  It  is  sweet  to  die  in  the  Lord ;  it  is  a  cov- 
enant-blessing to  sleep  in  Jesus.  Death  is  no  longer  banish- 
ment ;  it  is  a  return  from  exile,  a  going  home  to  the  many 
mansions  where  the  loved  ones  already  dwell.  The  distance 
between  glorified  spirits  in  heaven  and  militant  saints  on 
earth  seems  great ;  but  it  is  not  so.  We  are  not  far  from 
home —  a  moment  will  bring  us  there.  The  sail  is  spread: 
the  soul  is  launched  upon  the  deep.  How  long  will  be  its 
voyage  ?  How  many  wearying  winds  must  beat  upon  the 
sail  ere  it  shall  be  reefed  in  the  port  of  peace  ?  How  long 
shall  that  soul  be  tossed  upon  the  waves  before  it  comes  to 
that  sea  which  knows  no  storm  ?  Listen  to  the  answer  :  "Ab- 
sent from  the  body,  present  with  the  Lord."  Yon  ship  has 
just  departed,  but  it  is  already  at  its  haven.  It  did  but  spread 
its  sail  and  it  was  there.  Like  that  ship  of  old,  upon  the  lake 
of  Galilee,  a  storm  had  tossed  it ;  but  Jesus  said,  "  Peace,  be 
still,"'  and  immediately  it  came  to  land.  Think  not  that  a 
long  period  intervenes  between  the  instant  of  death  and  the 
eternity  of  glory.  When  the  eyes  close  on  earth  they  open 
m  heaven.  The  horses  of  fire  are  not  an  instant  c  n  the  road. 
Then,  0  child  of  God,  what  is  there  for  thee  to  fear  in  death, 
seeing  that  through  the  death  of  thy  Lord  its  curse  and  sting 
we  destroyed  ?  and  now  it  is  but  a  Jacob's  ladder  whose  foot 
ifi  in  the  dark  grave,  but  its  top  reaches  to  glory  everlasting 


112  DAILY    EEADINGS.  April  21 


/  hioio  that  my  JRedeemer  liveth."  —  Job  xix.  25. 

fg^HE  marrow  of  Job's  comfort  lies  in  that  little  word 
"  My  "  —  "  My  Redeemer,"  and  in  the  fact  that  the 
Redeemer  lives.  Oh  !  to  get  hold  of  a  living  Christ. 
We  must  get  a  property  in  Him  before  we  can  enjoy  Him. 
What  is  gold  in  the  mine  to  me  ?  Men  are  beggars  in  Peru, 
and  beg  their  bread  in  California.  It  is  gold  in  my  purse 
which  will  satisfy  my  necessities,  by  purchasing  the  bread  I 
need.  So  a  Redeemer  who  does  not  redeem  me,  an  Avenger 
who  will  never  stand  up  for  my  blood,  of  what  avail  were  such  : 
Rest  not  content  until  by  faith  you  can  say,  "  Yes,  I  cast  my- 
self upon  my  living  Lord  ;  and  He  is  mine."  It  may  be  you 
hold  Ilim  with  a  feeble  hand  ;  you  half  think  it  presumption 
to  say,  "  He  lives  as  my  Redeemer ;  "  yet,  remember,  if  you 
have  but  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  that  little  faith  en- 
titles you  to  say  it.  But  there  is  also  another  word  here,  ex- 
pressive of  Job's  strong  confidence  —  "  /  know."  To  say,  "  I 
hope  so,  I  trust  so,"  is  comfortable  ;  and  there  are  thousands 
in  the  fold  of  Jesus  who  hardly  ever  get  much  further.  But 
to  reach  the  essence  of  consolation  you  viust  say,  "  I  know." 
Ifs,  buts,  and  perhapses,  are  sure  murderers  of  peace  and 
comfort.  Doubts  are  dreary  things  in  times  of  sorrow.  Like 
wasps  they  sting  the  soul !  If  I  have  any  suspicion  that  Christ 
is  not  mine,  then  there  is  vinegar  mingled  with  the  gall  of 
death  ;  but  if  I  know  that  Jesus  lives  for  me,  then  darkness 
is  not  dark  ;  even  the  night  is  light  about  me.  Surely  if  Job, 
in  those  ages  before  the  coming  and  advent  of  Christ,  could 
say,  "  I  know,"  we  should  not  speak  less  positively.  God 
forbid  that  our  positiveness  should  be  presumption.  Let  us 
nee  ihat  our  evidences  are  right,  lest  we  build  upon  an  un- 
grounded hope ;  and  then  let  us  not  be  satisfied  with  the 
Qierc  foundation,  for  it  is  from  the  upper  rooms  that  we  get 
the  widest  prospect.  A  living  Redeemer,  truly  mine,  is  jo^ 
unspeakable. 


April  22.  DAILY    EEADING8.  113 


"//tm  hath  Ood  exalted."  — Acts  \.  31. 

^ESUS,  our  Lord,  once  crucified,  dead  and  buried,  now 
'9  sits  upon  the  throne  of  glory.  The  highest  place 
■^  thai  heaven  affords  is  His  by  undisputed  right.  It  13 
Bweet  to  remember  that  the  exaltation  of  Christ  in  heaven  is 
a  representative  exaltation.  He  is  exalted  at  the  Father's  right 
hand,  and  though  as  Jehovah  He  has  eminent  glories,  in 
which  finite  creatures  cannot  share,  yet  as  the  Mediator,  the 
honors  which  Jesus  wears  in  heaven  are  the  heritage  of  all 
the  saints.  It  is  delightful  to  reflect  how  close  is  Christ's 
union  with  His  people.  We  are  actually  one  with  Ilim  ;  we 
are  members  of  Ilis  body;  and  His  exaltation  is  our  exaltation. 
He  will  give  us  to  sit  upon  His  throne,  even  as  He  has  over- 
come, and  is  set  down  with  His  Father  on  His  throne :  He 
has  a  crown,  and  He  gives  us  crowns  too  :  He  has  a  throne, 
but  He  is  not  content  with  having  a  throne  to  Himself;  on 
His  right  hand  there  must  be  His  queen,  arrayed  in  "gold 
of  Ophir."  He  cannot  be  glorified  without  His  bride.  Look 
up,  believer,  to  Jesus  now ;  let  the  eye  of  your  faith  behold 
Him  with  many  crowns  upon  His  head ;  and  remember  that 
you  will  one  day  be  like  Him,  when  you  shall  see  Him  as  He 
is ;  you  shall  not  be  so  great  as  He  is,  you  shall  not  be  so 
divine,  but  still  you  shall,  in  a  measure,  share  the  same  hon- 
ors, and  enjoy  the  same  happiness  and  the  same  dignity  which 
He  possesses.  Be  coutent  to  live  unknown  for  a  little  while, 
and  to  walk  your  weary  way  tlirough  the  fields  of  poverty, 
or  up  the  hills  of  affliction ;  for  by  and  by  you  shall  reign 
with  Christ,  for  He  has  "  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto 
God,  and  we  shall  reign  forever  and  ever."  Oh !  wonderful 
thought  for  the  children  of  God  !  We  have  Christ  for  our 
glorious  representative  in  heaven's  courts  notv,  and  soon  fl« 
will  come  and  receive  us  to  Himself,  to  be  with  Him  there, 
to  behold  His  glory,  and  to  share  in  His  joy. 
10* 


114  DAILY  HEADINGS.  April  23. 

"  Nay,  in  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  conquerors  through  Him 
that  loved  us."  —  Romans  viii.  37. 

^^E  go  to  Christ  for  forgiveness,  and  then  too  often  look 
to  the  law  for  power  to  fight  our  sins.  Paul  thug 
rebukes  us :  "  0  foolish  Galatians,  who  hath  bewitched 
you,  that  ye  should  not  obey  the  truth  ?  This  only  would  I 
learn  of  you  :  Received  ye  the  Spirit  by  the  works  of  the  law, 
or  by  the  hearing  of  faith  ?  Are  ye  so  foolish  .''  Having  begun 
in  the  Spirit,  are  ye  now  made  perfect  by  the  flesh  ?  "  Take 
your  sins  to  Christ's  cross,  for  the  old  man  can  only  be  cruci- 
fied there  :  we  are  crucified  with  Him.  The  only  weapon  to 
fight  sin  with  is  the  spear  which  pierced  the  side  of  Jesus. 
To  give  an  illustration  —  you  want  to  overcome  an  angry 
temper  ;  how  do  you  go  to  work  ?  It  is  very  possible  you 
have  never  tried  the  right  way  of  going  to  Jesus  with  it. 
How  did  I  get  salvation  ?  I  came  to  Jesus  just  as  I  was, 
and  I  trusted  him  to  save  me.  I  must  kill  my  angry  temper 
in  the  same  way.  It  is  the  only  way  in  which  I  can  ever 
kill  it.  I  must  go  to  the  cross  with  it,  and  say  to  Jesus, 
"  Lord,  I  trust  Thee  to  deliver  me  from  it."  This  is  the  only 
way  to  give  it  a  death-blow.  Are  you  covetous  ?  Do  you 
feel  the  world  entangle  you  ?  You  may  struggle  against  this 
evil  so  long  as  you  please,  but  if  it  be  your  besetting  sin,  you 
will  never  be  delivered  from  it  in  any  way  but  by  the  blood 
of  Jesus,  Take  it  to  Christ.  Tell  Him,  "  Lord,  I  have 
trusted  Thee,  and  Thy  name  is  Jesus,  for  Thou  dost  save 
Thy  people  from  their  sins  ;  Lord,  this  is  one  of  my  sins  ;  sa^e 
me  from  it !  "  Ordinances  are  nothing  without  Christ  as  a 
means  of  mortification.  Your  prayers,  and  your  repentances, 
and  your  tears  —  the  whole  of  them  put  together  —  are  worth 
nothing  apart  from  Him.  "  None  but  Jesus  can  do  helpless 
fiiuners  good;  "  or  helpless  saints  cither.  You  must  be  con- 
querors through  Him  who  hath  loved  you,  if  conquerors  at  all. 
Our  laurels  must  grow  amonof  His  olives  in  G-ethsemaue. 


April  24.  DAILY    READINGS.  115 

"  And  became  of  all  this  we  make  a  sure  covenant." 
Xehemiah  ix.  38. 


i 


['y^IIElvE  arc  many  occasions  iu  our  experience  when 
we  may  very  rightly,  and  with  benefit,  renew  our 
covenant  with  God.  After  recovcri/  from  sickness 
when,  like  Ilezekiah,  we  have  had  a  new  term  of  years 
added  to  our  life,  we  may  fitly  do  it.  After  any  deliverance 
from  trouble,  when  our  joys  bud  forth  anew,  let  us  again  visit 
the  foot  of  the  cross,  and  renew  our  consecration.  Espe- 
cially, let  us  do  this  after  any  sin  wJiich  Jias  (jrieved  the  Holy 
Spirit,  or  brought  dishonor  upon  the  cause  of  God;  let  us 
then  look  to  that  blood  which  can  make  us  whiter  than  snow, 
and  again  offer  ourselves  unto  the  Lord.  We  should  not 
only  let  our  troubles  confirm  our  dedication  to  God,  but  our 
prosperity  should  do  the  same.  If  we  ever  meet  with  occa- 
sions which  deserve  to  be  called  "  crowning  mercies,"  then, 
surely,  if  He  hath  crowned  us,  we  ought  also  to  crown  our 
God;  let  us  bring  forth  anew  all  the  jewels  of  the  divine 
regalia  which  have  been  stored  in  the  jewel-closet  of  our 
heart,  and  let  our  God  sit  upon  the  throne  of  our  love,  ar- 
rayed in  royal  apparel.  If  we  would  learn  to  profit  by  our 
prosperity,  we  should  not  need  so  much  adversity.  If  we 
would  gather  from  a  kiss  all  the  good  it  might  confer  upon 
us,  we  should  not  so  often  smart  under  the  rod.  Have  we 
lately  received  some  blessing  which  we  little  expected  ?  Has 
the  Lord  put  our  feet  in  a  large  room  ?  Can  we  sing  of  mer- 
cies multiplied  ?  Then  this  is  the  day  to  put  our  hand  upon 
the  horns  of  the  altar,  and  say,  "  Bind  me  here,  my  God;  bind 
me  here  with  cords,  even  forever."  Inasmuch  as  we  need 
the  fulfilment  of  new  promises  from  God,  let  us  offer  renewed 
prayers  that  our  old  vows  may  not  be  dishonored.  Let  us 
this  morning  make  with  Him  a  sure  covenant,  because  of 
the  pains  of  Jesus  which  for  the  last  month  we  iBive  beea 
eoDsidering  with  gratitude. 


116  DAILY    HEADINGS.  April  25. 

"  Rise  up,  my  love,  my  fair  one,  and  come  away." 
Canticles  ii.  10. 

^p^O,  I  hear  the  voice  of  my  Beloved  !  He  speaks  to  mel 
W'  '^1  ^^^Y  weather  is  smiling  upon  the  face  of  the  earth, 
•'^^'^  and  He  would  not  have  me  spiritually  asleep  while 
nature  is  all  around  me  awaking  from  her  winter's,  rest.  He 
bids  me,  "  Rise  up,"  and  well  He  may,  for  I  have  long  enough 
been  lying  among  the  pots  of  worldliness.  He  is  risen,  I 
am  risen  in  Him  ;  why  then  should  I  cleave  unto  the  dust  ? 
From  lower  loves,  desires,  pursuits,  and  aspirations,  I  would 
rise  towards  Him.  He  calls  me  by  the  sweet  title  of  "  My 
love,"  and  counts  me  fair  ;  this  is  a  good  argument  for  my  ris- 
ing. If  He  has  thus  exalted  me,  and  thinks  me  thus  comely, 
how  can  I  linger  in  the  tents  of  Kedar  and  find  congenial 
associates  among  the  sons  of  men  ?  He  bids  me,  "  Come 
away."  Farther  and  farther  from  everything  selfish,  grovel- 
ling, worldly,  sinful.  He  calls  me  ;  yea,  from  the  outwardly 
religious  world  which  knows  Him  not,  and  has  no  sympathy 
with  the  mystery  of  the  higher  life,  He  calls  me.  "  Come 
away"  has  no  harsh  sound  in  it  to  my  ear,  for  what  is  there 
to  hold  me  in  this  wilderness  of  vanity  and  sin  ?  0  my  Lord, 
would  that  I  could  come  away ;  but  I  am  taken  among  the 
thorns,  and  cannot  escape  from  them  as  I  would.  I  would, 
if  it  were  possible,  have  neither  eyes,  nor  ears,  nor  heart  for 
sin.  Thou  callest  me  to  Thyself  by  saying,  "  Come  away," 
and  this  is  a  melodious  call  indeed.  To  come  to  Thee  is  to 
come  home  from  exile,  to  come  to  land  out  of  the  raging 
storm,  to  come  to  rest  after  long  labor,  to  come  to  the  goal 
of  my  desires  and  the  summit  of  my  wishes.  But,  Lord,  how 
can  a  stone  rise  ?  how  can  a  lump  of  clay  come  away  from 
the  horrible  pit  ?  0  raise  me,  draw  me.  Thy  grace  can  do 
it.  Send  forth  Thy  Holy  Spirit  to  kindle  sacred  flames  of 
love  in  my  heart,  and  I  will  continue  to  rise  until  I  leave 
life  and  time  behind  lofi-  aid  indeed  come  away. 


April  26.  DAILY   RE AD1KG9.  117 


"  This  do  in  remembrance  of  Me." —  1  Corinthians  xi.  24. 


^?7T  seems,  then,  that  Christians  may  forget  Christ! 
ki^j  Tlicre  could  be  no  need  for  this  loving  exhortation, 
^  if  there  were  not  a  fearful  supposition  that  our  mem- 
ories might  prove  treacherous.  Nor  is  this  a  bare  supposi- 
tion ;  it  is,  alas  !  too  well  confirmed  in  our  experience,  not 
as  a  possibility,  but  as  a  lamentable  fact.  It  appears  almost 
impossible  that  those  who  have  been  redeemed  by  the  blood 
of  the  dying  Lamb,  and  loved  with  an  everlasting  love  by  the 
eternal  Sou  of  God,  should  forget  that  gracious  Saviour  ;  but, 
if  startling  to  the  ear,  it  is,  alas !  too  apparent  to  the  eye  to 
allow  us  to  deny  the  crime.  Forget  Him  who  never  forgot 
us  !  Forget  Him  who  poured  His  blood  forth  for  our  sins  ! 
Forget  Him  who  loved  us  even  to  the  death  !  Can  it  be  pos- 
sible ?  Yes,  it  is  not  only  possible,  but  conscience  confesses 
that  it  is  too  sadly  a  fault  with  all  of  us,  that  we  suffer  Him 
to  be  as  a  wayfaring  man  tarrying  but  for  a  night.  He 
whom  we  should  make  the  abiding  tenant  of  our  memories 
is  but  a  visitor  therein.  The  cross  where  one  would  think 
that  memory  would  linger,  and  unmindfulness  would  be  an 
unknown  intruder,  is  desecrated  by  the  feet  of  forgetfuluess. 
Does  not  your  conscience  say  that  this  is  true  ?  Do  you  not 
find  yourselves  forgetful  of  Jesus  ?  Some  creature  steals 
away  your  heart,  and  you  are  uumiudful  of  Him  upon  whom 
your  affection  ought  to  be  set.  Some  earthly  business  en- 
grosses your  attention  when  you  should  fix  your  eye  steadily 
upon  the  cross.  It  is  the  incessant  turmoil  of  the  world, 
the  constant  attraction  of  earthly  things,  which  takes  away 
the  soul  from  Christ.  While  memory  too  well  preserves  a 
poisonous  weed,  it  suffereth  the  rose  of  Sharou  to  wither. 
Let  us  charge  ourselves  to  bind  a  heavenly  forget-me-not 
•bout  our  hearts  for  Jesus  our  Beloved,  and  whatever  else 
we  let  slip,  let  us  hold  fast  to  Him. 


118  DAILY    KFADINGS.  April  27. 

"  Ood,  even  our  own  God."  —  Psalm  Ixvii.  6. 

,T  is  strange  bow  little  use  we  make  of  the  spiritual 
r^"^  blessings  which  God  gives  us,  but  it  is  stranger  still 
y/^^\&  ]jQ^  little  use  we  make  of  God  Himself.  Though 
He  is  "  our  own  God,"  we  apply  ourselves  but  little  to  Him, 
and  ask  but  little  of  Him.  How  seldom  do  we  ask  coun- 
sel at  the  hands  of  the  Lord  1  How  often  do  we  go  about 
our  business  without  seeking  His  guidance  !  In  our  trou- 
bles how  constantly  do  we  strive  to  bear  our  burdens 
ourselves,  instead  of  casting  them  upon  the  Lord,  that 
He  may  sustain  us !  This  is  not  because  we  may  not,  for 
the  Lord  seems  to  say,  "  I  am  thine,  soul ;  come  and  make 
use  of  me  as  thou  wilt ;  thou  mayst  freely  come  to  my 
store,  and  the  oftener  the  more  welcome."  It  is  our  own 
fault  if  we  make  not  free  with  the  riches  of  our  God.  Then, 
since  thou  hast  such  a  friend,  and  He  invites  thee,  draw  from 
Him  daily.  Never  want  whilst  thou  hast  a  God  to  go  to  ; 
never  fear  or  faint  whilst  thou  hast  God  to  help  thee ;  go  to 
thy  treasure  and  take  whatever  thou  needest  —  there  is  all 
that  thou  canst  want.  Learn  the  divine  skill  of  making  God 
all  things  to  thee.  He  can  supply  thee  with  all ;  or,  better 
still,, He  can  be  to  thee  instead  of  all.  Let  me  urge  thee, 
then,  to  make  use  of  thy  God.  Make  use  of  Him  in  prayer. 
Go  to  Him  often,  because  He  is  thy  God.  0,  wilt  thou  fail 
to  use  so  great  a  privilege  ?  Fly  to  Him,  tell  Him  all  thy 
wants.  Use  Him  constantly  hy  faith  at  all  times.  If  some 
dark  providence  has  beclouded  thee,  use  thy  God  as  a 
"sun;"  if  some  strong  enemy  has  beset  thee,  find  in  Je- 
hovah a  "  shield  ;  "  for  He  is  a  sun  and  shield  to  His  people. 
If  thou  hast  lost  thy  way  in  the  mazes  of  life,  use  Him  as  a 
"  guide,"  for  He  will  direct  thee.  Whatever  thou  art,  and 
wherever  thou  art,  remember  God  is  just  wJxat  thou  wantest, 
and  just  where  thou  wantest,  and  that  He  can  do  all  thou 
wantest. 


April  28.  LAILT   EEADIN08.  11^ 

"Ilemcmhcr  the  word  unto  Thy  seirant,  upon  which   Thou  hasi 
caused  me  to  hope"  —  Psalm  cxix.  49. 

[■HATEVEIl  your  especial  need  may  be,  you  may 
\j\  readily  find  some  promise  in  the  Bible  suited  to  it. 
Arc  you  faint  and  feeble  because  your  way  is  rough 
and  you  are  weary  ?  Here  is  the  promise  —  "  He  giveth 
power  to  the  faint."  When  you  read  such  a  promise,  take 
it  back  to  the  great  Promisor,  and  ask  Him  to  fulfil  His  own 
word.  Are  you  seeking  after  Christ,  and  thirsting  for  closer 
ccmmunion  with  Him  ?  This  promise  shines  like  a  star  upon 
you  —  "Blessed  arc  they  that  hunger  and  thirst  after  right- 
eousness,  for  they  shall  be  filled."  Take  that  promise  to  the 
throne  continually  ;  do  not  plead  anything  else,  but  go  to 
God  over  and  over  again  with  this  —  "  Lord,  Thou  hast  said 
it ;  do  as  Thou  hast  said."  Are  you  distressed  because  of 
sin,  and  burdened  with  the  heavy  load  of  your  iniquities  ? 
Listen  to  these  words  —  "  I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blotteth  out 
thy  transgressions,  and  will  no  more  remember  thy  sins." 
You  have  no  merit  of  your  o^\^l  to  plead  why  He  should  par- 
don you ;  but  plead  His  written  engagements,  and  He  will 
perform  them.  Are  you  afraid  lest  you  should  not  be  able 
to  hold  on  to  the  end  ?  lest,  after  having  thought  yourself  a 
child  of  God,  you  should  prove  a  castaway  ?  If  that  is  your 
Btate,  take  this  word  of  grace  to  the  throne  and  plead  it : 
"  The  mountains  may  depart,  and  the  hills  may  be  removed, 
but  the  covenant  of  My  love  shall  not  depart  from  thee."  If 
you  have  lost  the  sweet  sense  of  the  Saviour's  presence,  and 
are  seeking  Him  with  a  sorrowful  heart,  remember  the  prom- 
ises :  "  Beturn  unto  Me,  and  I  will  return  unto  you ;  "  "  For 
a  small  moment  have  I  forsaken  thee,  but  with  great  mercies 
will  I  gather  thee."  Banquet  your  faith  upon  God's  own  word ; 
and  whatever  your  fears  or  wants,  repair  to  the  Bank  of  Faith 
with  your  Father's  note  of  hand,  saying,  "  Bemembcr  the  word 
unto  Thy  servant,  upon  which  Thou  hast  caused  me  to  hope." 


120  1>A1I,Y  BEA±)INGS.  April  29. 

"  Thou  art  my  hope  in  iJie  clay  of  evil."  —  Jeremiah  xvii.  17. 

^^HE  path  of  the  Christian  is  not  always  bright  with 
^%  sunshine  ;  he  has  his  seasons   of  darkness  and  of 


storm.  True,  it  is  written  in  God's  Word,  "  Her 
ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness,  and  all  her  paths  are  peace  ;  " 
and  it  is  a  great  truth,  that  religion  is  calculated  to  giye  a 
man  happiness  below  as  well  as  bliss  above  ;  but  experience 
tells  us  that  if  the  course  of  the  just  be  "  as  the  shining  light, 
that  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day,"  yet  some- 
times that  light  is  eclipsed.  At  certain  periods  clouds  cover 
the  believer's  sun,  and  he  walks  in  darkness  and  sees  no  light. 
There  are  many  who  have  rejoiced  in  the  presence  of  God  for 
a  season ;  they  have  basked  in  the  sunshine  in  the  earlier 
stages  of  their  Christian  career ;  they  have  walked  along  the 
"  green  pastures  "  by  the  side  of  the  "  still  waters,"  but  sud- 
denly they  find  the  glorious  sky  is  clouded  ;  instead  of  the 
land  of  Goshen,  they  have  to  tread  the  sandy  desert ;  in  the 
place  of  sweet  waters,  they  find  troubled  streams,  bitter  to 
their  taste,  and  they  say,  "  Surely,  if  I  were  a  child  of  God, 
this  would  not  happen."  Oh  !  say  not  so,  thou  who  art 
walking  in  darkness.  The  best  of  God's  saints  must  drink 
the  wormwood ;  the  dearest  of  His  children  must  bear  the 
cross.  No  Christian  has  enjoyed  perpetual  prosperity;  no 
believer  can  always  keep  his  harp  from  the  willows.  Per- 
haps the  Lord  allotted  you  at  first  a  smooth  and  unclouded 
path,  because  you  were  weak  and  timid.  He  tempered  tho 
wind  to  the  shorn  lamb ;  but  now  that  you  are  stronger  in 
the  spiritual  life,  you  must  enter  upon  the  riper  and  rougher 
experience  of  God's  full-grown  children  We  need  winds 
and  tempests  to  exercise  our  faith,  to  tear  off  the  rotten 
bough  of  self-dependence,  and  to  root  us  more  firmly  in 
Christ.  The  day  of  evil  reveals  to  us  the  value  of  our  glori- 
ous hope. 


April  3d.  tJAILY    EEADINOS.  121 

**  And  all  the  children  of  Israel  murmured."  —  Num.  xiv.  2. 

u^HERE  are  murmurcrs  amongst  Christians  now,  as 
IJ5I  there  were  in  the  camp  of  Israel  of  old.  There  are 
those  who,  when  the  rod  falls,  cry  out  against  the  af- 
flictive dispensation.  They  ask,  "  Why  am  I  thus  aiBictcd  ? 
Wliat  have  I  done  to  be  chastened  iu  this  manner  ?"  A  word 
with  thee,  0  murmurer  !  Why  shouldst  thou  murmur  against 
the  dispensations  of  thy  heavenly  Father  ?  Can  lie  treat 
thee  more  hardly  than  thou  deservest  ?  Consider  what  a  rebel 
thou  wast  once,  but  He  has  pardoned  thee  !  Surely,  if  lie 
in  His  wisdom  sees  fit  now  to  chasten  thee,  thou  shouldst  not 
complain.  After  all,  art  thou  smitten  as  hardly  as  thy  sins 
deserve  ?  Consider  the  corruption  which  is  in  thy  breast, 
and  then  wilt  thou  wonder  that  there  needs  so  much  of  the 
rod  to  fetch  it  out  ?  Weigh  thyself,  and  discern  how  much 
dross  is  mingled  with  thy  gold ;  and  dost  thou  think  the  fire 
too  hot  to  purge  away  so  much  dross  as  thou  hast  ?  Does  not 
that  proud  rebellious  spirit  of  thine  prove  that  thy  heart  is 
not  thoroughly  sanctified  ?  Are  not  those  murmuring  words 
contrary  to  the  holy  submissive  nature  of  God's  children  ? 
Is  not  the  correction  needed  ?  But  if  thou  wilt  murmur 
against  the  chastening,  take  heed,  for  it  will  go  hard  with 
murmurers.  God  always  chastises  His  children  twice,  if  they 
do  not  bear  the  first  stroke  patiently.  But  know  one  thing 
—  "  He  doth  not  afflict  willingly,  nor  grieve  the  children  of 
men."  All  His  corrections  are  sent  in  love,  to  purify  thee, 
and  to  draw  thee  nearer  to  Himself.  Surely  it  must  help 
thee  to  bear  the  chastening  with  resignation  if  thou  art  able 
to  recognize  thy  Father's  hand.  For  "  whom  the  Lord  loveth 
He  chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every  son  whom  He  receiveth. 
If  30  endure  chastening,  God  dealeth  with  you  as  with  sous." 
"  Murmur  not  as  some  of  them  also  murmured  and  were  de- 
stroyed of  the  destroyer." 
11 


152  i)AiLY  HEADINGS.  May  1. 

"His  cheeks  are  as  a  bed  of  spices,  as  sweet  flowers."  —  Cant.  v.  13. 

^P^O,  the  flowery  month  is  come  !  March  winds  and 
WJ  ^  April  showers  have  done  their  work,  and  the  earth 
yJ^^!»U  jg  r^]\  bedecked  with  beauty.  Come,  my  soul,  put  on 
thine  holiday  attire,  and  go  forth  to  gather  garlands  of  heav- 
enly thoughts.  Thou  knowest  whither  to  betake  thyself, 
for  to  th3e  the  "beds  of  spices"  are  well  known,  and  thou 
hast  so  often  smelt  the  perfume  of  the  "  sweet  flowers,"  that 
thou  wilt  go  at  once  to  thy  well-beloved  and  find  all  loveli- 
ness, all  joy  in  Him.  That  cheek  once  so  rudely  smitten 
with  a  rod,  oft  bedewed  with  tears- of  sympathy,  and  then 
defiled  with  spittle  —  that  cheek,  as  it  smiles  with  mercy,  is 
as  fragrant  aromatic  to  my  heart.  Thou  didst  not  hide  Thy 
face  from  shame  and  spitting,  0  Lord  Jesus,  and  therefore 
I  will  find  my  dearest  delight  in  praising  Thee.  Those 
cheeks  were  furrowed  by  the  plough  of  grief,  and  crimsoned 
with  red  lines  of  blood  from  Thy  thorn-crowned  temples; 
such  marks  of  love  unbounded  cannot  but  charm  my  soul  far 
more  than  "  pillars  of  perfume."  If  I  may  not  see  the  whole 
of  His  face,  I  would  behold  His  cheeks,  for  the  least  glimpse 
of  Him  is  exceedingly  refreshing  to  my  spiritual  sense,  and 
yields  a  variety  of  delights.  In  Jesus  I  find  not  only  fra- 
grance, but  a  bed  of  spices ;  not  one  flower,  but  all  manner  of 
sweet  flowers.  He  is  to  me  my  rose  and  my  lily,  my  hearts- 
ease and  my  cluster  of  camphor.  When  he  is  with  me,  it  is 
May  all  the  year  round,  and  my  soul  goes  forth  to  wash  her 
happy  face  in  the  morning-dew  of  His  grace,  and  to  solace 
herself  with  the  singing  of  the  birds  of  His  promises.  Pre- 
cious Lord  Jesus,  let  me  in  very  deed  know  the  blessedness 
which  dwells  in  abiding,  unbroken  fellowship  with  Thee. 
I  am  a  poor  worthless  one,  whose  cheek  Thou  hast  deigned 
to  kiss.  0  let  me  kiss  Thee,  in  return,  with  the  kisses  of  mj 
lips. 


May  2.  1)AILY   TEACINGS.  123 

"  I  pray  not  that  Tlioit  shouldst  take  them  out  of  the  world." 
John  xvii.  1<5. 

^S^yf^T  is  a  sweet  and  blessed  event  winch  will  occur  to  all 
c^"<  ■  ^\S  believers  in  God's  own  time  —  the  ffoinflf  home  to  be 
Y/^rv<:i  with  Jesus.  In  a  few  more  years  the  Lord's  soldiers, 
who  are  now  fighting  "  the  good  fight  of  faith,"  will  have 
done  with  conflict,  and  have  entered  into  the  joy  of  their 
Lord.  But  although  Christ  prays  that  His  people  may  event- 
ually be  with  Him  where  He  is,  lie  does  not  ask  that  they 
may  be  taken  at  once  away  from  this  world  to  heaven.  He 
wishes  them  to  stay  here.  Yet  how  frequently  does  the 
wearied  pilgrim  put  up  the  prayer,  "  0  that  I  had  wings  like 
a  dove,  for  then  would  I  flee  away  and  be  at  rest ! "  but  Christ 
docs  not  pray  like  that;  He  leaves  us  in  His  Father's  hands, 
until,  like  shocks  of  corn  fully  ripe,  we  shall  each  be  gathered 
into  our  Master's  garner.  Jesus  does  not  plead  for  our  in- 
stant removal  by  death,  for  to  abide  in  the  flesh  is  needful 
for  others,  if  not  profitable  for  ourselves.  He  asks  that  we 
may  be  kept  from  evil,  but  He  never  asks  for  us  to  be  ad- 
mitted to  the  inheritance  in  glory  till  we  are  of  full  age. 
Christians  often  want  to  die  when  they  have  any  trouble. 
Ask  them  why,  and  they  tell  you,  "  Because  we  would  be 
with  the  Lord."  We  fear  it  is  not  so  much  because  they  are 
longing  to  be  with  the  Lord,  as  because  they  desire  to  get  rid 
of  their  troubles  ;  else  they  would  feel  the  same  wish  to  die 
iit  other  times,  when  not  under  the  pressure  of  trial.  They 
want  to  go  home,  not  so  much  for  the  Saviour's  company,  as 
1 0  be  at  rest.  Now  it  is  quite  right  to  desire  to  depart,  if  we 
can  do  it  in  the  same  spirit  that  Paul  did,  be^^ausc  to  be  with 
Christ  is  far  better ;  but  the  wish  to  escape  I'rom  trouble  is  a 
selfish  one.  Rather  let  your  care  and  wish  be  to  glorify  God 
by  your  life  here  as  long  as  He  pleases,  even  though  it  be  in 
the  midst  of  toil,  and  conflict,  and  sufi'ering,  and  leave  Him 
to  say  when  "  it  is  enough." 


124  DAILY   KEAJDIKGS.  May  9. 

"  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation."  —  John  xvi.  33. 

^'^[r'RT  thou  asking  the  reason  of  this,  believer  ?  Looli 
I  '^  vpward  to  thy  heavenly  Father,  and  behold  Him 
*^  pure  and  holy.  Dost  thou  know  that  thou  art  one 
day  to  be  like  Him  ?  Wilt  thou  easily  be  conformed  to  His 
image  ?  Wilt  thou  not  require  much  refining  in  the  furnace 
of  affliction  to  purify  thee  r  Will  it  be  an  easy  thing  to  get 
rid  of  thy  corruptions,  and  make  thee  perfect,  even  as  thy 
Father  which  is  in  heaven  is  perfect  ?  Nest,  Christian,  turn 
thine  eye  downward.  Dost  thou  know  what  foes  thou  hast 
beneath  thy  feet  ?  Thou  wast  once  a  servant  of  Satan, 
and  no  king  will  willingly  lose  his  subjects.  Dost  thou  think 
that  Satan  will  let  thee  alone  ?  No,  he  will  be  always  at 
thee,  for  he  "  goeth  about  like  a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whom 
he  may  devour."  Expect  trouble  therefore.  Christian,  when 
thou  lookest  beneath  thee.  Then  look  aro«?icZ  i/iee.  Where 
art  thou  ?  Thou  art  in  an  enemy's  country,  a  stranger 
and  a  sojourner.  The  world  is  not  thy  friend.  If  it 
be,  then  thou  art  not  Grod's  friend,  for  he  who  is  the 
friend  of  the  world  is  the  enemy  of  Grod.  le  assured  that 
thou  shalt  find  foemen  everywhere.  Wben  thou  sleepest, 
think  that  thou  art  resting  on  the  battle-field ;  when  thou 
walkest,  suspect  an  ambush  in  every  hedge.  As  mosquitos 
are  said  to  bite  strangers  more  than  natives,  so  will  the  trials 
of  earth  be  sharpest  to  you.  Lastly,  look  within  thee,  into 
thine  own  heart,  and  observe  what  is  there.  Sin  and  self 
are  still  within.  Ah !  if  thou  hadst  no  devil  to  tempt  thee,  no 
enemies  to  fight  thee,  and  no  world  to  insnare  thee,  thou 
wouldst  still  find  in  thyself  evil  enough  to  be  a  sore  trouble 
to  thee,  for  "  the  heart  is  deceitful  above  aU  things,  and  des- 
perately wicked."  Expect  trouble  then,  but  despond  not  on 
account  of  it,  for  God  is  with  thee,  to  help  and  to  strengthen 
thee.  He  hath  said,  "  I  will  be  with  thee  in  trouble;  I  wiU 
deliver  thee  and  honor  thee." 


Maj  4.  DAILY  &£ADtK68.  125 


Shall  a  7nan  mike  gods  unto  himself]  and  they  are  no  godsf" 
Jer.  xvi.  20. 

i"NE  great  besetting  sin  of  ancient  Israel  was  idolatry, 
and  the  spiritual  Israel  are  vexed  witli  a  tendency  to 
^^  the  same  folly.  Remphan's  star  shines  no  longer, 
and  the  women  weep  no  more  for  Thammuz ;  but  Mammon 
still  intrudes  his  golden  calf,  and  the  shrines  of  pride  arc  not 
forsaken.  Self,  in  various  forms,  struggles  to  subdue  the 
chosen  ones  under  its  dominion,  and  the  flesh  sets  up  its  al- 
tars wherever  it  can  find  space  for  them.  Favorite  children 
are  often  the  cause  of  much  sin  in  believers;  the  Lord  is 
grieved  when  he  sees  us  doting  upon  them  above  measure : 
they  will  live  to  be.  as  great  a  curse  to  us  as  Absalom  was  to 
David,  or  they  will  be  taken  from  us  to  leave  our  homes  deso- 
late. If  Christians  desire  to  grow  thorns  to  stuff  their  sleep- 
less pillows,  let  them  dote  upon  their  dear  ones. 

It  is  truly  said  that  "  they  are  no  gods,"  for  the  objects  of 
our  foolish  love  are  very  doubtful  blessings  ;  the  solace  which 
they  yield  us  now  is  dangerous,  and  the  help  which  they  can 
give  us  in  the  hour  of  trouble  is  little  indeed.  Why,  then, 
are  we  so  bewitched  with  vanities  ?  We  pity  the  poor  hea- 
then who  adores  a  god  of  stone,  and  yet  worship  a  god  of 
gold.  Where  is  the  vast  superiority  between  a  god  of  flesh 
and  one  of  wood  ?  The  principle,  the  sin,  the  folly  is  the 
same  in  either  case,  only  that  in  ours  the  crime  is  more  ag- 
gravated, because  we  have  more  light,  and  sin  in  the  face  of 
it.  The  heathen  bows  to  a  false  deity,  but  the  true  Grod  he  ha:? 
never  known  ;  we  commit  two  evils,  inasuucb  as  w«  forsako 
the  living  Grod  and  turn  unto  idols.  May  tac  \'or^  f^'ge  ui 
all  from  tlus  grievous  iniquity. 

"  The  dearest  idol  I  have  known, 
Whate'cr  that  idol  be, 
Help  ine  to  tear  it  from  thy  th<'on« 
And  worship  only  Thee." 
11* 


1 26  toAiL^  READINGS.  May  6. 

"I will  he  their  God,  and  they  shall  he  My  ijeople.'" — 2  Cor.  vi.  16, 


I 


■HAT  a  sweet  title  —  "  My  people  "  !  What  a  cheering 
./i  revelation  —  "their  God"  !  How  much  of  meaning 
"^  is  couched  in  those  two  words,  "  My  people"  !  Here 
is  speciality.  The  whole  world  is  God's  ;  the  heaven,  even 
the  heaven  of  heavens,  is  the  Lord's,  and  He  reigneth  among 
the  children  of  men  ;  but,  of  those  whom  He  hath  chosen, 
whom  He  hath  purchased  to  Himself,  He  saith  what  He 
saith  not  of  others  —  "  My  people."  In  this  word  there  is 
the  idea  o^  proprietor  ship.  In  a  special  manner  the  "Lord's 
portion  is  His  people ;  Jacob  is  the  lot  of  His  inheritance  " 
All  the  nations  upon  earth  are  His ;  the  whole  world  is  in 
His  power ;  yet  are  His  people.  His  chosen,  more  especially 
His  possession  ;  for  He  has  done  more  for  them  than  others  ; 
He  has  bought  them  with  his  blood ;  He  has  brought  them 
nigh  to  Himself ;  He  has  set  His  great  heart  upon  them  ; 
He  has  loved  them  with  an  everlasting  love,  a  love  which 
many  waters  cannot  quench,  and  which  the  revolutions  of 
time  shall  never  suffice  in  the  least  degree  to  diminish. 
Dear  friends,  can  you,  by  faith,  see  yourselves  in  that  num- 
oer  ?  Can  you  look  up  to  heaven,  and  say,  "  My  Lord  and 
my  God  ;  mine  by  that  sweet  relationship  which  entitles  me  to 
call  Thee  Father ;  mine  by  that  hallowed  felloivsMp  which  I 
delight  to  hold  with  Three  when  Thou  art  pleased  to  manifest 
Thyself  unto  me  as  Thou  dost  not  unto  the  world  ?  "  Canst 
thou  read  the  Book  of  Inspiration,  and  find  there  the  inden- 
tures of  thy  salvation  ?  Canst  thou  read  thy  title  writ  in 
precious  blood  ?  Canst  thou,  by  humble  faith,  lay  hold  of 
Jesus' garments,  and  say,  "My  Christ"?  If  thou  canst, 
then  God  saith  of  thee,  and  of  others  like  thee,  "  My  peo- 
ple ;  '*  for,  if  God  be  your  God,  and  Christ  your  Christ,  the 
Lord  has  a  special,  peculiar  favor  to  you ;  you  are  the  ob. 
ject  of  His  choice,  accepted  in  His  beloved  Sen. 


Ntay  6.  hAiLY  ukadingh.  1^7 


"  We  dwell  in  Him."—  1  John  iv.  13. 


"^',0  you  want  a  house  for  your  soul  ?  Do  you  ask, 
O^  "  Wliiit  is  the  purchase  ?"    It  is  something  less  than 

'^  proud  human  nature  will  like  to  give.  It  is  without 
money  and  without  price.  Ah  !  you  would  like  to  pay  a  re- 
spectable rent !  You  would  love  to  do  something  to  win 
Christ  I  Then  you  cannot  have  the  house,  for  it  is  "  without 
price."  Will  you  take  my  Master's  house  on  a  lease  for  a!! 
eternity,  with  nothing  to  pay  for  it,  nothing  but  the  ground- 
rent  of  loving  and  serving  Ilim  forever  ?  Will  you  take 
Jesus,  and  "  dwell  in  Him  "  ?  See,  this  house  is  furnished 
with  all  you  want ;  it  is  filled  with  riches  more  than  you  will 
spend  as  long  as  you  live.  Here  you  can  have  intimate 
communion  with  Christ,  and  feast  on  Ilis  love  ;  here  are  ta- 
bles well  stored  with  food  for  you  to  live  on  forever ;  in  it, 
when  weary,  you  can  find  rest  with  Jesus ;  and  from  it  you 
can  look  out,  and  see  heaven  itself.  Will  you  have  the 
house  ?  Ah  !  if  you  are  houseless,  you  will  say,  "  I  should 
like  to  have  the  house  ;  but  may  I  have  it  ? "  Yes  ;  there  is 
the  key  —  the  key  is,  "Come  to  Jesus."  "But,"  you  say, 
"  I  am  too  shabby  for  such  a  house."  Never  mind  ;  there 
are  garments  inside.  If  you  feel  guilty  and  condemned, 
come  ;  and,  though  the  house  is  too  good  for  you,  Christ 
will  make  you  good  enough  for  the  house  by  and  by.  He 
will  wash  you  and  cleanse  you,  and  you  will  yet  be  able  to 
sing,  "  We  dwell  in  Him."  Believer  !  thrice  happy  art  thou 
.0  have  such  a  dwelling-place  !  Greatly  privileged  thou  art, 
.'or  thou  hast  a  "  strong  habitation  "  in  which  thou  art  ever 
<afe.  And,  "  dwelling  in  Him,"  thou  hast  not  only  a  per- 
fect and  secure  house,  but  an  everlasting  one.  W^hen  this 
/porld  shall  have  melted  like  a  dream,  our  house  shall  live, 
,nd  stand  more  imperishable  than  marble,  more  solid  than 
pianite,  self-existent  as  God,  for  it  is  God  Himsolf.  "  Ws 
dwv.U  in  Him." 


1 28  DAtLV  tofeADtKGs.  May  7. 

*^  Multitudes  followed  Him,  and  He  healed  them  all." — Matt.  xii.  15. 

i^jHAT  a  mass  of  hideous  sickness  must  have  thrust  it- 
^■/i  self  under  the  eye  of  Jesus  !  Yet  we  read  not  that 
*^^  He  was  disgusted,  but  patiently  waited  on  every 
sase.  What  a  singular  variety  of  evils  must  have  met  at 
His  feet !  What  sickening  ulcers  and  putrefying  sores  !  Yet 
He  was  ready  for  every  new  shape  of  the  monster  evil,  and 
was  victor  over  it  in  every  form.  Let  the  arrow  fly  from 
what  quarter  it  might,  He  quenched  its  fiery  power.  The 
heat  of  fever,  or  the  cold  of  dropsy ;  the  lethargy  of  palsy, 
or  the  rage  of  madness  ;  the  filth  of  leprosy,  or  the  darkness 
of  ophthalmia,  —  all  knew  the  power  of  His  word,  and  fled  at 
His  command.  In  every  corner  of  the  field  He  was  trium- 
phant over  evil,  and  received  the  homage  of  delivered  cap- 
tives. He  came,  He  saw,  He  conquered  everywhere.  It  is 
even  so  this  morning.  Whatever  my  own  case  may  be,  the 
beloved  Physician  can  heal  me ;  and  whatever  may  be  the 
state  of  others  whom  I  may  remember  at  this  moment  in 
prayer,  I  may  have  hope  in  Jesus  that  He  will  be  able  to 
heal  them  of  their  sins.  My  child,  my  friend,  my  dearest 
one,  I  can  have  hope  for  each,  for  all,  when  I  remember  the 
healing  power  of  my  Lord  ;  and  on  my  own  account,  however 
severe  my  struggle  with  sins  and  infirmities,  I  may  yet  be 
of  good  cheer.  He  who  on  earth  walked  the  hospitals  still 
dispenses  His  grace,  and  works  wonders  among  the  sons  of 
men :  let  me  go  to  Him  at  once  in  right  earnest.  Let  me 
praise  Him,  this  morning,  as  I  remember  hoio  He  wrought 
His  spiritual  cures,  which  bring  Him  most  renown.  It  was 
by  taking  upon  Himself  our  sicknesses.  "  By  His  stripes  we 
are  healed."  The  Church  on  earth  is  full  of  souls  healed  by 
our  beloved  Physician ;  and  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  itself 
confess  that  "  He  healed  them  all."  Come,  then,  my  soul,  pub- 
lish abroad  the  virtue  of  His  grace,  and  let  it  be  "to  the  Lord 
for  a  name,  fc  an  everlasting  sign  which  shall  not  be  cut  off/ 


May  8.  PAiLY  EfeADiNGS.  lift 

"  lie.  (hat  teas  healed  tcist  not  who  it  teas."  —  John  v.  13. 

J^EAlvS  arc  short  to  the  happy  and  healthy  ;  but  thirty- 
\y^  eight  years  of  disease  must  have  dragged  a  very 
1^^  weary  length  along  the  life  of  the  poor  impotent  man 
When  Jesus,  therefore,  healed  him  by  a  word,  while 
he  lay  at  the  pool  of  Uethesda,  he  was  delightfully  sensible 
of  a  change.  Even  so  the  sinner,  who  has  for  weeks  and 
months  been  paralyzed  with  despair,  and  has  wearily  sighed 
for  salvation,  is  very  conscious  of  the  change  when  the  Lord 
Jesus  speaks  the  word  of  power,  and  gives  joy  and  peace  in 
believing.  The  evil  removed  is  too  great  to  be  removed  with- 
out our  discerning  it ;  the  life  imparted  is  too  remarkable  to  be 
possessed,  and  remain  inoperative;  and  the  change  wrought  is 
too  marvellous  not  to  be  perceived.  Yet  the  poor  man  was 
ignorant  of  the  author  of  his  cure  ;  he  knew  not  the  sacredness 
of  His  person,  the  offices  which  He  sustained,  or  the  errand 
which  brought  Him  among  men.  Much  ignorance  of  Jesus 
may  remain  in  hearts  which  yet  feel  the  power  of  His  blood. 
We  must  not  hastily  condemn  men  for  lack  of  knowledge ; 
but  where  we  can  see  the  faith  which  saves  the  soul,  we  must 
believe  that  salvation  has  been  bestowed.  The  Holy  Spirit 
makes  men  penitents  long  before  He  makes  them  divines ; 
and  he  who  believes  what  he  knows  shall  soon  know  more 
clearly  what  he  believes.  Ignorance  is,  however,  an  evil ; 
for  this  poor  man  was  much  tantalized  by  the  Pharisees,  a,nd 
was  quite  unable  to  cope  with  them.  It  is  good  to  be  able 
to  answer  gainsayers ;  but  we  cannot  do  so  if  we  know  not 
the  Lord  Jesus  clearly,  and  with  understanding.  The  care 
of  his  ignorance,  however,  soon  followed  the  cure  of  his  in- 
firmity, for  he  was  visited  by  the  Lord  in  the  temple ;  i  nd, 
ifter  that  gracious  manifestation,  he  was  found  testifying 
hat  "  it  was  Jesus  who  had  made  him  whole."  Lord,  if 
Thou  hast  saved  me,  show  me  Thyself,  that  I  may  deolar* 
Thee  to  the  sous  of  mea. 


130  ijAiLir  HEABiNGS.  May  d. 

"  Who  hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings."  —  Eph.  i.  3. 

-LL  the  goodness  of  the  past,  the  present,  and  the 
'^  future,  Christ  bestows  upon  His  people.  In  the  mys- 
terious ages  of  the  past,  the  Lord  Jesu?  was  His 
Father's  first  elect,  and  in  His  election  He  gave  us  an  interest, 
for  we  were  chosen  in  him  from  before  the  foundations  of  the 
world.  He  had  from  all  eternity  the  prerogatives  of  Sonship, 
as  His  Father's  only-begotten  and  well-beloved  Son  ;  and  He 
has,  in  the  riches  of  His  grace,  by  adoption  and  regenera- 
tion, elevated  us  to  Sonship  also,  so  that  to  us  He  has  given 
"  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God."  The  eternal  covenant, 
based  upon  suretyship  and  confirmed  by  oath,  is  ours,  for  our 
strong  consolation  and  security.  In  the  everlasting  settlements 
of  predestinating  wisdom  and  omnipotent  decree,  the  eye  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  was  ever  fixed  on  us  ;  and  we  may  rest  as- 
sured that  in  the  whole  roll  of  destiny  there  is  not  a  line 
which  militates  against  the  interests  of  His  redeemed.  The 
great  betrothal  of  the  Prince  of  Glory  is  ours,  for  it  is  to  us 
that  He  is  affianced,  as  the  sacred  nuptials  shall  ere  long  de- 
clare to  an  assembled  universe.  The  marvellous  incarnation 
of  the  God  of  heaven,  with  all  the  amazing  condescension 
and  humiliation  which  attended  it,  is  ours.  The  bloody 
sweat,  the  scourge,  the  cross,  are  ours  forever.  Whatever 
blissful  consequences  flow  from  perfect  obedience,  finished 
atonement,  resurrection,  ascension,  or  intercession,  all  are  ours 
by  His  own  gift.  Upon  His  breastplate  He  is  now  bearing  our 
names  ;  and  in  His  authoritative  pleadings  at  the  throne  He 
remembers  our  persons  and  pleads  our  cause.  His  dominion 
over  principalities  and  powers,  and  His  absolute  majesty  in 
heaven.  He  employs  for  the  benefit  of  them  who  trust  in  Him. 
His  high  estate  is  as  much  at  our  service  as  was  His  con- 
dition of  abasement.  He  who  gave  Himself  for  us  in  the 
depths  of  woe  and  death,  doth  not  withdraw  the  grant  no^ 
that  He  is  enthroned  in  the  highest  heavens. 


May  10.  Daily  readii^gs.  Idl 

"  But  now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead."  —  1  Cor.  xv.  20. 

■^^IIE  whole  system  of  Christianity  rests  upon  the  fact 
)^  that  "Christ  is  risen  from  the  dead  ;"  for,  "  if  Christ 
be  not  risen,  then  is  our  preaching  vain,  and  yonr 
faith  is  also  vain  :  ye  arc  yet  ia  your  tins."  The  divinity  of 
Christ  finds  its  surest  proof  in  His  resurrection,  since  He 
\Fas  "  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with  power,  according 
to  the  spirit  of  holiness,  by  the  resurrection  from  the  dead." 
It  would  not  be  unreasonable  to  doubt  His  deity  if  He  had 
not  risen.  Moreover,  Christ's  sovereignty  depends  upon  His 
resurrection,  "  for  to  this  end  Christ  both  died,  and  rose, 
and  revived,  that  He  might  be  Lord  both  of  the  dead  and 
living."  Again,  our  justification,  that  choice  blessing  of  the 
covenant,  is  linked  with  Christ's  triumphant  victory  over 
death  and  the  grave  ;  for  "  He  was  delivered  for  our  ofi"ences, 
and  was  raised  again  for  our  justification."  Nay,  more,  our 
very  regeneration  is  connected  with  His  resurrection  ;  for  we 
are  "  begotten  again  unto  a  lively  hope  by  the  resurrection 
of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead."  And  most  certainly  our 
ultimate  resurrection  rests  here ;  for  "  if  the  Spirit  of  Him 
that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead  dwell  in  you,  He  that 
raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead  shall  also  quicken  your  mortal 
bodies  by  His  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you."  If  Christ  be  not 
risen,  then  shall  we  not  rise ;  but  if  He  be  risen,  then  they  who 
are  asleep  in  Christ  have  not  perished,  but  in  their  flesh  shall 
surely  behold  their  God.  Thus,  the  silver  thread  of  resurrec- 
tion runs  through  all  the  believer's  blessings,  from  his  regen- 
eration onwards  to  his  eternal  glory,  and  binds  them  together. 
How  important,  then,  will  this  glorious  fact  be  in  his  estima- 
tion, and  how  will  he  rejoice  that  beyond  a  doubt  it  is  estab- 
lished, that  "  now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead"  ; 

"The  promise  is  fulfilled, 

Redemption's  work  is  done, 
Justice  with  mercy  's  reconciled. 
For  Ood  has  raised  His  fion." 


132  DAttt  HJiADlNGS.  May  11. 

"/  am  with  yon  alway." — Matthew  x.xviii.  20. 

^2^VkT  is  well  there  is  One  who  is  ever  the  same,  and  who 

^1  ^  ^^  ^^^^  ^^^"^  ^^'  ^^  '^^  ^^^^  there  is  one  stable  rock 
•/^Rky  amidst  the  billows  of  the  sea  of  life.  0  my  soul,  set 
not  thine  affections  upon  rusting,  moth-eaten,  decaying  treas- 
ures, but  set  thine  heart  upon  Him  who  abides  forever  faith- 
ful to  thee.  Build  not  thine  house  upon  the  moving  quick- 
sands of  a  deceitful  world,  but  found  thy  hopes  upon  this 
Rock,  which,  amid  descending  rain  and  roaring  floods,  shall 
stand  immovably  secure.  My  soul,  I  charge  thee,  lay  up 
thy  treasure  in  the  only  secure  cabinet ;  store  thy  jewels, 
where  thou  canst  never  lose  them.  Put  thine  all  in  Christ ; 
set  all  thine  affections  on  His  person,  all  thy  hope  in  His 
merit,  all  thy  trust  in  His  efficacious  blood,  all  thy  joy  in  His 
presence,  and  so  thou  mayst  laugh  at  loss,  and  defy  destruc- 
tion. Remember  that  all  the  flowers  in  the  world's  garden  fade 
by  turns,  and  the  day  cometh  when  nothing  will  be  left  but 
the  black,  cold  earth.  Death's  black  extinguisher  must  soon 
put  out  thy  candle.  Oh  !  how  sweet  to  have  sunlight  when  the 
candle  is  gone  !  The  dark  flood  must  soon  roll  between  thee 
and  all  thou  hast ;  then  wed  thine  heart  to  Him  who  will 
never  leave  thee ;  trust  thyself  with  Him  who  will  go  with 
thee  through  the  black  and  surging  current  of  death's  stream, 
and  who  will  land  thee  safely  on  the  celestial  shore,  and 
make  thee  sit  with  Him  in  heavenly  places  forever.  Go, 
Borrowing  son  of  affliction,  tell  thy  secrets  to  the  Friend  who 
sticketh  closer  than  a  brother.  Trust  all  thy  concerns  with 
Him  who  never  can  be  taken  from  thee,  who  will  never 
leave  thee,  and  who  will  never  k.t  thee  leave  Ilim,  even 
"  Jesus  Christ,  the  same  yesterday,  and  to-day,  and  forever." 

'  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,"  is  enough  for  my  s(  ol  to  live 

ipon,  let  who  will  forsake  me. 


May   12.  I)A1I,Y    RKADIN08.  183 

"  And  will  manifest  myself  to  Him."  —  John  xiv.  21. 

i*^^HE  Lord  Jesus  gives  special  revelations  of  Iliniselt*  to 
^0  His  people.  Even  if  Scripture  did  not  declare  this, 
there  are  many  of  the  children  of  God  who  could 
testify  the  truth  of  it  from  their  own  experience.  They  have 
had  manifestations  of  their  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ 
in"  a  peculiar  manner,  such  as  no  mere  reading  or  hearing 
could  afford.  In  the  biographies  of  eminent  saints,  you  will 
find  many  instances  recorded  in  which  Jesus  has  been 
pleased,  in  a  very  special  manner,  to  speak  to  their  souls, 
and  to  unfold  the  wonders  of  His  person  ;  yea,  so  have  their 
souls  been  steeped  in  happiness  that  they  have  thought  them- 
selves to  be  in  heaven,  whereas  they  were  not  there,  though 
they  were  well  nigh  on  the  threshold  of  it  —  for  when  Jesua 
manifests  Himself  to  His  people,  it  is  heaven  on  earth  ;  it  is 
paradise  in  embryo  ;  it  is  bliss  begun.  Especial  manifesta- 
tions of  Christ  exercise  a  holy  influence  on  the  believer's 
heart.  One  effect  will  be  humility.  If  a  man  says,  "  I  have 
had  such  and  such  spiritual  communications,  I  am  a  great 
man,"  he  has  never  had  any  communion  with  Jesus  at  all ; 
for  "  God  hath  respect  unto  the  lowly ;  but  the  proud  He 
knoweth  afar  off"  He  does  not  need  to  come  near  them  to 
know  them,  and  will  never  give  them  any  visits  of  love 
Another  effect  will  be  happiness ;  for  in  God's  presence  there 
are  pleasures  forevermore.  Holiness  will  be  sure  to  follow. 
A  man  who  has  no  holiness  has  never  had  this  manifestation. 
Some  men  profess  a  great  deal ;  but  we  must  not  believe 
any  one  unless  we  see  that  his  deeds  answer  to  what  he  says. 
"  Be  not  deceived,  God  is  not  mocked."  He  will  not  bestow 
His  favors  upon  the  wicked :  for  while  He  will  not  cast  away 
a  perfect  man,  neither  will  lie  respect  an  evil  doer.  Thus 
there  will  be  three  effects  of  nearnoss  to  Jesus  —  humility,  hap- 
piness, and  holiness.  May  God  give  them  to  thee,  Christian  I 
13 


134  DAILY  BEADiirGu.  May  13 


"Weeping  may  endure  for  a  night,  but  joy  comeih  in  the  morning.'^ 
Psalm  XXX.  5. 

|HRISTIAN  !  if  thou  art  ia  a  night  of  trial,  think  of 
^^  the  morrow ;  cheer  up  thy  heart  -with  the  thought  of 
'"'^  the  coming  of  thy  Lord.  Be  patient,  for 
"  Lo  !  He  comes  with  clouds  descending." 
Be  patient  \  The  Husbandman  waits  until  He  reaps  His 
harvest.  Be  patient ;  for  you  know  who  has  said,  "  Behold, 
I  come  quickly ;  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give  to  every 
man  according  as  his  work  shall  be."  If  you  are  never  so 
wretched  now,  remember 

"  A  few  more  rolling  suns,  at  most, 
Will  land  thee  on  fair  Canaan's  coast." 

Thy  head  may  be  crowned  with  thorny  troubles  now,  but  it 
shall  wear  a  starry  crown  ere  long ;  thy  hand  may  be  filled 
with  cares  —  it  shall  sweep  the  strings  of  the  harp  of  heaven 
soon.  Thy  garments  may  be  soiled  with  dust  now  ;  they 
shall  be  white  by  and  by.  Wait  a  little  longer.  Ah  !  how 
despicable  our  troubles  and  trials  will  seem  when  we  look 
back  upon  them  !  Looking  at  them  here  in  the  prospect, 
they  seem  immense ;  but  when  we  get  to  heaven  -we  shall 
then 

"  With  transporting  joys  recount 
The  labors  of  our  feet." 

Our  trials  will  then  seem  light  and  momentary  afflictions.  Let 
us  go  on  boldly ;  if  the  night  be  never  so  dark,  the  morning 
Cometh,  which  is  more  that  they  can  say  who  are  shut  up  in 
the  darkness  of  hell.  Do  you  know  what  it  is  thus  to  live  on 
the  future  —  to  live  on  expectation  —  to  antedate  heaven? 
Hapj)y  believer,  to  have  so  sure,  so  comforting  a  hope.  It 
may  be  all  dark  now,  but  it  will  soon  be  light;  it  may  be  all 
trial  now,  but  it  will  soon  be  all  happiness.  What  matters 
it  though  "weeping  niav  endure  for  a  night,"  when  "joj 
Cometh  in  the  morning"  ? 


May  14.  DAILY    READINGS.  135 

"Joint  heirs  jeith  Christ."  —  Romans  viii.  17. 

{pT^^oIIl^  bouudless  realms  of  His  Father's  universe  are 
4y|JU|y  Christ's  by  prescriptive  right.  As  "heir  of  all  things," 
''^'^*^^  He  is  the  sole  proprietor  of  the  vast  creation  of  God, 
and  He  has  admitted  us  to  claim  the  whole  as  ours,  by  virtue 
of  that  deed  of  joint-hcirship  which  the  Lord  hath  ratified 
with  His  chosen  people.  The  golden  streets  of  paradise,  the 
pearly  gates,  the  river  of  life,  the  transcendent  bliss,  and  the 
unutterable  glory,  arc,  by  our  blessed  Lord,  made  over  to  us 
for  our  everlasting  possession.  All  that  He  has  He  shares 
with  His  people.  The  crown  royal  He  has  placed  upon  the 
head  of  His  Church,  appointing  her  a  kingdom,  and  calling 
her  sons  a  royal  priesthood,  a  generation  of  priests  and  kings. 
He  uncrowned  Himself  that  we  might  have  a  coronation  of 
glory ;  He  would  not  sit  upon  His  own  throne  until  He  had 
procured  a  place  upon  it  for  all  who  overcome  by  His  blood. 
Crown  the  head,  and  the  whole  body  shares  the  honor.  Be- 
hold hero  the  reward  of  every  Christian  conqueror  !  Christ's 
throne,  crown,  sceptre,  palace,  treasure,  robes,  heritage,  are 
yours.  Far  superior  to  the  jealousy,  selfishness,  and  greed, 
which  admit  of  no  participation  of  their  advantages,  Christ 
deems  His  happiness  completed  by  His  people  sharing  it. 
"  The  glory  wliich  thou  gavest  Me  have  I  given  them." 
"  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that  My  joy  might 
remain  in  you,  and  that  your  joy  might  be  full."  The  smiles 
of  His  Father  arc  all  the  sweeter  to  Him,  because  His  people 
share  them.  The  honors  of  His  kingdom  are  more  pleasing, 
because  His  peojile  appear  with  Him  in  glory.  More  valu- 
able to  Him  are  His  conquests,  since  they  have  taught  His 
people  to  overcome.  He  delights  in  His  throne,  because  on 
it  there  Li  a  place  fur  them.  He  rejoices  in  His  royal  robes, 
since  over  them  His  skirts  are  spread.  He  delights  ^he  mora 
in  His  joy,  because  He  calls  them  to  enter  into  it. 


136  DAILY  READINGS.  May  15. 

"All  that  believe  are  justified."  —  Acts  xiii.  39. 

?^HE  believer  in  Christ  receives  a  -present  justification. 

Faith  does  not  produce  this  fruit  by  and  by,  but  vq'j:. 

So  far  as  justification  is  the  result  of  faith,  it  is  given 
to  the  soul  in  the  moment  when  it  closes  with  Christ,  and 
accepts  Him  as  its  all  in  all.  Are  they  who  stand  before 
the  throne  of  God  justified  now?  —  so  are  we,  as  truly  and 
as  clearly  justified  as  they  who  walk  in  white  and  sing  melo- 
dious praises  to  celestial  harps.  The  thief  upon  the  cross 
was  justified  the  moment  tlwt  he  turned  the  eye  of  faith  to 
Jesus ;  and  Paul  the  aged,  after  years  of  service,  was  not 
more  justified  than  was  the  thief  with  no  service  at  all.  We 
arc  to-day  accepted  in  the  Beloved,  to-day  absolved  from 
sin,  to-day  acquitted  at  the  bar  of  God.  0,  soul-trans- 
porting thought !  There  are  some  clusters  of  Eshcol's  vine 
which  we  shall  not  be  able  to  gather  till  we  enter  heaven  ; 
but  this  is  a  bough  which  runneth  over  the  wall.  This 
is  not  as  the  corn  of  the  land,  which  we  can  never  eat  till 
we  cross  the  Jordan ;  but  this  is  part  of  the  manna  in  the 
wilderness,  a  portion  of  our  daily  nutriment  with  which 
God  supplies  us  in  our  journeying  to  and  fro.  We  are 
now  —  even  noio  pardoned ;  even  noio  are  our  sins  put 
away  ;  even  noxo  we  stand  in  the  sight  of  God  accepted, 
as  though  we  had  never  been  guilty.  "  There  is  therefore 
now  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus." 
There  is  not  a  sin  in  the  Book  of  God,  even  now,  against 
one  of  his  people.  Who  darcth  to  lay  anything  to  their 
charge  ?  There  is  neither  speck,  nor  spot,  nor  wrinkle, 
nor  any  such  thing  remaining  upon  any  one  believer  in 
the  matter  of  justification  in  the  sight  of  the  Judge  of  all 
the  earth.  Let  present  privilege  awaken  us  to  pntcnt 
duty,  and  now,  while  life  lasts,  let  us  spend  and  be  t^en\ 
for  our  sweet  Lord  Jesus. 


May  16.  DAILY    BEAPINOS.  13) 

"Who  giveth  us  ricJily  all  things  to  enjoy.*' — 1  Timothy  vi.  17. 

'^UR  Lord  Jesus  is  ever  giving,  and  docs  not  for  a 
yA  solitary  instant  withdraw  hi.<*  baud.  As  long  as  tliere 
^'^  is  a  vessel  of  grace  not  yet  full  to  the  brim,  the  oil 
shall  not  be  stayed.  He  is  a  sun  cvey-shiuing  ;  He  is  nianua 
always  falling  round  the  camp  ;  H^  i?  a  rock  in  the  desert, 
ever  sending  out  streams  of  life  from  Ylxa  smitten  side  ;  the 
rain  of  Ilis  grace  is  always  dronping  ;  the  river  of  His  bounty 
is  ever  flowing,  and  the  well-spring  of  H<e*1ovc  is  constantly 
overflowing.  As  the  King  can  never  die,  so  His  grace  can 
never  fail.  Daily  we  pluck  His  fruit,  and  dauy  His  branches 
bend  down  to  our  hand  with  a  fresh  store  of  mercy.  There 
are  seven  feast  days  in  His  weeks,  and  as  muny  as  are  the 
days,  so  many  are  the  banquets  in  His  years.  Who  has  ever 
returned  from  His  door  unblessed  ?  Who  has  ever  risen  from 
His  table  unsatisfled,  or  from  His  bosom  un-en2(>aradised  ? 
His  mercies  are  new  every  morning  and  fresh  every  evening. 
Who  can  know  the  number  of  His  benefits,  or  recount  the  list 
of  His  bounties.  Every  sand  whicli  drops  from  the  ^lass  of 
time  is  but  the  tardy  follower  of  a  myriad  of  morcicft.  The 
wings  of  our  hours  are  covered  with  the  silver  of  H/s  kind- 
ness, and  with  the  yellow  gold  of  His  aff'ection.  The  r-ver  of 
time  bears  from  the  mountains  of  eternity  the  golden  •!»anda 
of  His  favor.  The  countless  stars  are  but  as  the  stafJard 
bearers  of  a  more  innumerable  host  of  blessings.  Whff  oan 
count  the  dust  of  the  benefits  which  He  bestows  on  Jact»b, 
or  tell  the  number  of  the  fourth  part  of  His  mercies  towa'-us 
Israel  ?  How  shall  my  soul  extol  Him  who  daily  loadeth  us 
with  benefits,  and  who  crowneth  us  with  loving  kindness  ?  ') 
that  my  praise  could  be  as  ceaseless  as  His  bounty  !  0  misei 
able  tongue,  how  canst  thou  be  silent  ?  Wake  up,  I  pray  thee 
lest  I  call  thee  no  more  my  glory,  but  my  shame.  "  Awak« 
psaltery  and  harp  :  I  myself  will  awake  right  early." 


138  DAILY  HEADINGS.  May  17. 

"  So  to  walk  even  as  He  walked." —  1  John  ii.  6, 

<24f!«l^^HY  should  Christians  imitate  Christ  ?  They  should 
do  it  for  their  own  sakes.  If  they  desire  to  be  in  a 
healthy  state  of  soul  —  if  they  would  escape  the  sick 
ness  of  sin,  and  enjoy  the  vigor  of  growing  grace,  let  Jesua 
be  their  model.  For  their  own  happiness'  sake,  if  they  would 
drink  wine  on  the  Ices,  well  refined  ;  if  they  would  enjoy  holy 
and  happy  communion  with  Jesus  ;  if  they  would  be  lifted  up 
above  the  cares  and  troubles  of  this  world,  let  them  walk  even 
as  He  walked.  There  is  nothing  which  can  so  assist  you  to 
walk  towards  heaven  with  good  speed,  as  wearing  the  image 
of  Jesus  on  your  heart  to  rule  all  its  motions.  It  is  when, 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  you  are  enabled  to  walk  with 
Jesus  in  His  very  footsteps,  that  you  are  most  happy,  and 
most  known  to  be  the  sons  of  God.  Peter  afar  off  is  both 
unsafe  and  uneasy.  Next,  for  religion  s  sake,  strive  to  be  like 
Jesus.  Ah  !  poor  religion,  thou  hast  been  sorely  shot  at  by 
cruel  foes,  but  thou  hast  not  been  wounded  one  half  so  dan- 
gerously by  thy  foes  as  by  thy  friends.  Who  made  those 
wounds  in  the  fair  hand  of  godliness  ?  The  professor  who 
used  the  dagger  of  hypocrisy.  The  man  who,  with  pretences, 
enters  the  fold,  being  nought  but  a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing, 
worries  the  flock  more  than  the  lion  outside.  There  is  no 
weapon  half  so  deadly  as  a  Judas-kiss.  Inconsistent  pro- 
fessors injure  the  gospel  more  than  the  sneering  critic  or  the 
infidel.  But,  especially  for  CAv/si's  otvn  sake,  imitate  His 
example.  Christian,  lovest  thou  thy  Saviour  ?  Is  His  name 
precious  to  thee  ?  Is  His  cause  dear  to  thee  ?  Wouldst 
thou  see  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  become  His  ?  Is  it  thy 
desire  that  Ha  should  be  glorified  ?  Art  thou  longing  that 
souls  should  be  won  to  Him  ?  If  so,  imitate  Jesus ;  be  an 
'*  epistle  of  Christ,  known  and  read  of  *11  men." 


May  18.  DAILY    BEADINOS.  139 

"  In  Ilim  dwellelh  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily.     And 
ye  are  complete  in  ii/ Hi."  —  Colossians  ii.  9,  10. 

j^ilrLL  the  attributes  of  Christ,  as  Grod  and  man,  are  at 
*l|  '^  our  disposal.  All  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead,  what* 
*^'  ever  that  marvellous  term  may  comprehend,  is  ours 
to  make  us  complete.  He  cannot  endow  us  with  the  attri- 
butes of  Deity  ;  but  He  has  done  all  that  can  be  done,  for  lie 
has  made  even  His  divine  power  and  Godhead  subservient 
to  our  salvation.  His  omnipotence,  omniscience,  omnipres- 
ence, immutability,  and  infallibility,  are  all  combined  for  our 
defence.  Arise,  believer,  and  behold  the  Lord  Jesus  yoking 
the  whole  of  His  divine  Godhead  to  the  chariot  of  salvation  ? 
How  vast  His  grace,  how  firm  His  faithfulness,  how  unswerv- 
ing His  immutability,  how  infinite  His  power,  how  limitless 
His  knowledge  !  All  these  are  by  the  Lord  Jesus  made  the 
pillars  of  the  temple  of  salvation  ;  and  all,  without  diminution 
of  their  infinity,  are  covenanted  to  us  as  our  perpetual  inherit- 
ance. The  fathomless  love  of  our  Saviour's  heart  is  every 
drop  of  it  ours  ;  every  sinew  in  the  arm  of  might,  every 
jewel  in  the  crown  of  majesty,  the  immensity  of  divine  knowl- 
edge, and  the  sternness  of  divine  justice,  all  are  ours,  and 
shall  be  employed  for  us.  The  whole  of  Christ,  in  His  ador- 
able character  as  the  Son  of  God,  is  by  Himself  made  over 
to  us  most  richly  to  enjoy.  His  wisdom  is  our  direction.  His 
knowledge  our  instruction.  His  power  our  protection,  His 
justice  our  surety.  His  love  our  comfort.  His  mercy  our  sol- 
ace, and  His  immutability  our  trust.  He  makes  no  reserve, 
but  opens  the  recesses  of  the  Mount  of  God,  and  bids  us  dig 
in  the  mines  for  the  hidden  treasures.  "  All,  all,  all  are 
yours,"  saith  He  ;  "  be  ye  satisfied  with  ftivor  and  full  of  the 
goodness  of  the  Lord."  Oh  !  how  sweet  thus  to  behold  Je- 
sus, and  to  call  upon  Him  with  the  certain  confidence  that  in 
sseking  the  interposition  of  His  love  or  power,  we  are  bit 
ftsking  for  that  which  Ho  has  already  faithfully  promised  I 


140  DAILY    KEADINGS.  Maj  19. 

"IJiave  seen  servants  upon  ho7-ses,  and  princes  walking  as  servanU 
upon  the  earth."  —  Ecclesiastes  x.  7. 

^'PSTARTS  frequently  usurp  the  liigKest  places,  while 
the  truly  great  pine  in  obscurity.     This  is  a  riddk 

^'  in  providence  whose  solution  will  one  day  gladden 
the  hearts  of  the  upright ;  but  it  is  so  common  a  fact,  that 
none  of  us  should  murmur  if  it  should  fall  to  our  own  lot. 
When  our  Lord  was  upon  earth,  although  He  is  the  Prince 
of  the  kings  of  the  earth,  yet  He  walked  the  footpath  of 
weariness  and  service  as  the  Servant  of  servants ;  what 
wonder  is  it  if  His  followers,  who  are  princes  of  the  blood, 
should  also  be  looked  down  upon  as  inferior  and  contempti- 
ble persons  ?  The  world  is  upside  down,  and  therefore  the 
first  are  last,  and  the  last  first.  See  how  the  servile  sons  of 
Satan  lord  it  in  the  earth  !  What  a  high  horse  they  ride  ! 
How  they  lift  up  their  horn  on  high !  Haman  is  in  the  court, 
while  Mordecai  sits  in  the  gate ;  David  wanders  on  the 
mountains,  while  Saul  reigns  in  state  ;  Elijah  is  complaining 
in  the  cave,  while  Jezebel  is  boasting  in  the  palace ;  yet 
who  would  wish  to  take  the  places  of  the  proud  rebels  ?  and 
who,  on  the  other  hand,  might  not  envy  the  despised  saints  ? 
When  the  wheel  turns,  those  who  are  lowest  rise,  and  the  high- 
est sink.  Patience  then,  believer !  eternity  will  right  the  wrongs 
of  time.  Let  us  not  fall  into  the  error  of  letting  our  passions 
and  carnal  appetites  ride  in  triumph,  while  our  nobler  powers 
walk  in  the  dust.  Grace  must  reign  as  a  prince,  and  make  the 
member*^  of  the  body  instruments  of  righteousness.  The  Holy 
Spirit  loves  order,  and  He  therefore  sets  our  powers  and  facul- 
ties in  Aue  rank  and  place,  giving  the  highest  room  to  those 
spiritui  1  faculties  which  link  us  with  the  great  King ;  let  us  not 
disturb  'he  divine  arrangement,  but  ask  for  grace  that  we  may 
keep  uii^ler  our  body,  and  bring  it  into  subjection.  We  were 
not  new  'jreated  to  allow  our  passions  to  rule  over  us,  but  that 
we,  as  k'.ngs,  may  reign  in  Christ  Jesus  over  the  triple  kingdom 
of  our  spirit,  soul,  and  body,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father, 


Maj  20.  DAILY   HEADINGS.  141 

"  MantUous  loving  kindness."  —  Psalm  xvii.  7. 

^41^j^IIEN  wc  give  our  licarts  with  our  alms,  \vc  give  we.' 
tmi\J'i  but  we  must  often  plead  to  a  failure  in  this  respect. 
**®^  Not  so  our  Master  and  our  Lord.  His  favors  are 
always  performed  with  the  love  of  His  heart.  He  does  not 
eend  to  us  the  cold  meat  and  the  broken  pieces  from  the  ta- 
ble of  His  luxury,  but  He  dips  our  morsel  in  His  own  dish, 
and  seasons  our  provisions  with  the  spices  of  His  fragrant 
affections.  When  He  puts  the  golden  tokens  of  His  grace 
into  our  palms,  He  accompanies  the  gift  with  such  a  warm 
pressure  of  our  hand,  that  the  manner  of  His  giving  is  as 
precious  as  the  boon  itself.  He  will  come  into  our  houses 
upon  His  errands  of  kindness,  and  He  will  not  act  as  some 
austere  visitors  do  in  the  poor  man's  cottage,  but  He  sits  by 
our  side,  not  despising  our  poverty,  nor  blaming  our  weak 
ness.  Beloved,  with  what  smiles  does  He  speak  !  Whai 
golden  sentences  drop  from  His  gracious  lips  !  What  em- 
braces of  affection  does  He  bestow  upon  us  !  If  He  had  but 
given  us  farthings,  the  way  of  His  giving  would  have  gilded 
them ;  but  as  it  is,  the  costly  alms  are  set  in  a  golden  basket 
by  His  pleasant  carriage.  It  is  impossible  to  doubt  the  sin- 
cerity of  His  charity,  for  there  is  a  bleeding  heart  stamped 
upon  the  face  of  all  His  benefactions.  He  giveth  liberally, 
and  upbraideth  not.  Not  one  hint  that  we  are  burdensome 
to  Him  ;  not  one  cold  look  for  His  poor  pensioners  ;  but  He 
rejoices  in  His  mercy,  and  presses  us  to  His  bosom  while 
He  is  pouring  out  His  life  for  us.  There  is  a  fragrance  in 
His  spikenard  which  nothing  but  His  heart  could  produce  ; 
there  is  a  sweetness  in  His  honeycomb  which  could  not  be 
in  it  unless  the  very  essence  -)£  His  soul's  affection  had  been 
mingled  with  it.  Oh !  the  rare  communion  which  such  sin- 
gular heartiness  effecteth !  May  we  continually  taste  and 
know  the  blessedness  of  it ! 


142  DAILY  HEADINGS.  May  21. 

*^If  so  he  ye  have  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious."  —  1  Peter  ii.  3. 

^S^'ji^F  :  —  then  this  is  not  a  matter  to  be  taken  lor  granted 
^^1  '^^i  concerning  every  one  of  the  human  race.  "  If:  "— 
y/^l^  |.jjg^  there  is  a  possibility  and  a  probability  that 
some  may  not  have  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious.  "If: " 
—  then  this  is  not  a  general,  but  a  special  mercy;  and  it  is 
needful  to  inquire  whether  we  know  the  grace  of  God  by 
inward  experience.  There  is  no  spiritual  favor  which  may 
not  be  a  matter  for  heart-searching.  But  while  this  should 
be  a  matter  of  earnest  and  prayerful  inquiry,  no  one  ought 
to  be  content  whilst  there  is  any  such  thing  as  an  "if" 
about  his  having  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious.  A  jealous 
and  holy  distrust  of  self  may  give  rise  to  the  question  even 
in  the  believer's  heart,  but  the  continuance  of  such  a  doubt 
would  be  an  evil  indeed.  We  must  not  rest  without  a  des- 
perate struggle  to  clasp  the  Saviour  in  the  arms  of  faith, 
and  say,  "  I  know  whom  I  have  believed,  and  I  am  per- 
suaded that  He  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committed 
unto  Ilim."  Do  not  rest,  0  believer,  till  thou  hast  a  full 
assurance  of  thine  interest  in  Jesus.  Let  nothing  satisfy 
thee  till,  by  the  infallible  witness  of  the  Holy  Spirit  bearing 
witness  with  thy  spirit,  thou  art  certified  that  thou  art  a 
child  of  God.  Oh,  trifle  not  here  ;  let  no  "  perhaps,"  and 
"  peradventure,"  and  "  if,"  and  "  may  be,"  satisfy  thy  soul. 
Build  on  eternal  verities,  and  verily  build  upon  them.  Get 
the  sure  mercies  of  David,  and  surely  get  them.  Let  thine 
anchor  be  cast  into  that  which  is  within  the  veil,  and  see  to 
it  that  thy  soul  be  linked  to  the  anchor  by  a  cable  that  will 
not  break.  Advance  beyond  these  dreary  "  ifs  ;  "  abide  no 
more  in  the  wilderness  of  doubts  and  fears  ;  cross  the  Jor- 
dan of  distrust,  and  enter  the  Canaan  of  peace,  where  the 
Canaanite  still  lingers,  but  where  the  land  ceaseth  not  ta 
flow  with  milk  and  honey. 


May  22.  daily  headings.  148 


'/7c  led  them  forth  by  the  right  way"  —  Psalm  cvii.  7. 


ANGEFUL  experience  often  leads  the  anxious  be- 
\s9M  liever  to  inquire,  "Why  is  it  thus  with  me?"  I 
looked  for  light,  but  lo,  darkness  came ;  for  peace, 
but  behold,  trouble.  I  said  in  my  heart,  My  mountain  stand- 
eth  firm ;  I  shall  never  be  moved.  Lord,  Thou  dost  hide 
Thy  face,  and  I  am  troubled.  It  was  but  yesterday  that  I 
could  read  my  title  clear ;  to-day,  my  evidences  are  be- 
dimmed,  and  my  hopes  are  clouded.  Yesterday,  I  could 
climb  to  Pisgah's  top,  and  view  the  landscape  o'er,  and  rejoice 
with  confidence  in  my  future  inheritance ;  to-day,  my  spirit 
has  no  hopes,  but  many  fears ;  no  joys,  but  much  distress. 
Is  this  part  of  God's  plan  with  me  ?  Can  this  be  the  way  in 
which  God  would  bring  me  to  heaven  ?  Yes,  it  is  even  so. 
The  eclipse  of  your  faith,  the  darkness  of  your  mind,  the 
fainting  of  your  hope,  —  all  these  things  arc  but  parts  of 
God's  method  of  making  you  ripe  for  the  great  inheritance 
upon  which  you  shall  soon  enter.  These  trials  are  for  the 
testing  and  strengthening  of  your  faith  —  they  are  waves, 
that  wash  you  farther  upon  the  rock  —  they  are  winds  which 
waft  your  ship  the  more  swiftly  towards  the  desired  haven. 
According  to  David's  words,  so  it  might  be  said  of  you, 
"  So  He  bringeth  them  to  their  desired  haven."  By  honor 
and  dishonor,  by  evil  report  and  by  good  report,  by  plenty 
and  by  poverty,  by  joy  and  by  distress,  by  persecution  and 
by  peace,  by  all  these  things  is  the  life  of  your  soul  main- 
tained, and  by  each  of  these  are  you  helped  on  your  way. 
Oh,  think  not,  believer,  that  your  sorrows  are  out  of  God's 
plan;  they  are  necessary  parts  of  it.  "We  must,  through 
much  tribulation,  enter  the  kingdom."  Learn,  then,  even 
tc  "  count  it  all  joy  wh»n  ye  fall  into  divers  tf^niptations."    , 

"  O  let  my  trembling  soul  be  still, 
And  wait  Thy  wise,  Thy  holy  will  i 
I  cannot,  Lord,  Thy  purpose  see, 
Tet  all  is  well,  since  ruled  by  The«." 


144  DAILY   HEADINGS.  Mav  23 


"  Tlie  Lord  will  perfect  that  loliich  concemeih  me." 
Psalm  cxxxviii.  8. 

DOST  manifestly  the  confidence  which  the  Psalmist 
here  expressed  was  a  divine  confidence.  He  did  not 
say,  "  /  have  grace  enough  to  perfect  that  which 
concerneth  me  —  my  faith  is  so  steady  that  it  will  not  stag- 
ger—  my  love  is  so  warm  that  it  will  never  grow  cold  —  my 
resolution  is  so  firm  that  nothing  can  move  it ;  "  no,  his  de- 
pendence was  on  the  Lord  alone.  If  we  indulge  in  any 
confidence  which  is  not  grounded  on  the  Rock  of  Ages,  our 
confidence  is  worse  than  a  dream ;  it  will  fall  upon  us,  and 
cover  us  with  its  ruins,  to  our  sorrow  and  confusion.  All 
that  nature  spins,  time  will  unravel,  to  the  eternal  confusion 
^f  all  who  are  clothed  therein.  The  Psalmist  was  wise ;  he 
rested  upon  nothing  short  of  the  Lord's  work.  It  is  the 
Lord  who  has  begun  the  good  work  within  us ;  it  is  He  who 
has  carried  it  on  ;  and  if  He  does  not  finish  it,  it  never  will 
be  complete.  If  there  be  one  stitch  in  the  celestial  garment 
of  our  righteousness  which  we  are  to  insert  ourselves,  then 
we  are  lost ;  but  this  is  our  confidence,  the  Lord  who  began 
will  perfect.  He  has  done  it  all,  must  do  it  all,  and  will  do 
it  all.  Our  confidence  must  not  be  in  what  we  have  done, 
nor  m  what  we  have  resolved  to  do,  but  entirely  in  what  the 
Lord  -will  do.  Unbelief  insinuates  —  "You  will  never  be 
able  to  stand.  Look  at  the  evil  of  your  heart;  you  can  never 
conquer  ^in  ;  remember  the  sinful  pleasures  and  temptations 
of  the  world  that  beset  you ;  you  will  be  certainly  allured  by 
them  and  led  astray."  Ah  !  yes,  we  should  indeed  perish  if 
left  to  our  own  strength.  If  we  had  alone  to  navigate  our  frail 
vessels  over  so  rough  a  sea,  we  might  well  give  up  the  voyage 
in  despair  ;  but,  thanks  be  to  God,  He  will  perfect  that  which 
concerneth  us,  and  bring  us  to  the  desired  haven.  We  can 
never  be  too  confident  when  we  confide  in  Him  alone,  and 
never  too  much  concerned  to  have  such  a  trust. 


May  24.  daily  readings.  145 

"  Blessed  be  God,  which  haih  not  turned  away  my  prayer." 
Psalm  Ixvi.  20. 

li^N  lookiug  back  upon  the  character  of  our  prayers,  if 
we  do  it  honestly,  we  shall  be  filled  with  wonder  that 

"^  God  has  ever  answered  them.  There  may  be  sot> 
who  think  their  pra}' ers  worthy  of  acceptance  —  as  the  Pha. 
isee  did ;  but  the  true  Christian,  in  a  more  enlightened 
retrospect,  weeps  over  his  prayers,  and  if  he  could  retrace 
his  steps  he  would  desire  to  pray  more  earnest]}'.  Remem- 
ber, Christian,  how  cold  thy  prayers  have  been.  When  in  thy 
closet  thou  shouldst  have  wrestled  as  Jacob  did  ;  but  instead 
thereof,  thy  petitions  have  been  faint  and  few  —  far  removed 
from  that  humble,  believing,  persevering  faith,  which  cries, 
"  I  will  not  let  Thee  go  except  Thou  bless  me."  Yet,  wonder- 
ful to  say,  God  has  heard  these  cold  prayers  of  thine,  and  not 
only  heard,  but  answered  them.  Reflect,  also,  how  unfre- 
quent  have  been  thy  prayers,  unless  thou  hast  been  in  trouble, 
and  then  thou  hast  gone  often  to  the  mercy-seat ;  but  when 
deliverance  has  come,  where  has  been  thy  constant  supplica- 
tion ?  Yet,  notwithstanding  thou  hast  ceased  to  pray  as 
once  thou  didst,  God  has  not  ceased  to  bless.  When  thou 
hast  neglected  the  mercy-seat,  Gx>d  has  not  deserted  it,  but 
the  bright  light  of  the  Shekinah  has  always  been  visible  be- 
tween the  wings  of  the  cherubim.  Oh  !  it  is  marvellous  that 
the  Lord  should  regard  those  intermittent  spasms  of  impor- 
tunity which  come  and  go  with  our  necessities.  "W^iat  a  God 
is  He  thus  to  hear  the  prayers  of  those  who  come  to  Him 
when  they  have  preseing  wants,  but  neglect  Him  when  they 
have  received  a  mercy ;  who  approach  Him  when  they  are 
forced  to  come,  but  who  abnost  forget  to  address  Him  when 
mercies  are  plentiful  and  sorrows  are  few  !  Let  His  gracious 
kindness  in  hearing  such  prayers  touch  our  hearts,  so  that 
we  may  henceforth  be  found  "praying  always  with  all  prayer 
and  supplication  in  the  spirit." 
13 


146  i)AiiiY  READINGS.  May  ^5. 

"Forsake  me  not,  0  Lord."  —  Psalm  xxxviii.  21. 

♦^^m^I^QUENTLY  we  pray  that  God  would  not  forsake 
^^  us  in  the  hour  of  trial  and  temptation,  but  we  too 
much  forget  that  we  have  need  to  use  this  prayer  al 
all  times.  There  is  no  moment  of  our  life,  however 
holy,  in  which  we  can  do  without  His  constant  upholding. 
Whether  in  light  or  in  darkness,  in  communion  or  in  temp- 
tation, we  alike  need  the  prayer,  "Forsake  me  not,  0  Lord." 
"  Hold  Thou  me  up,  and  I  shall  be  safe."  A  little  child, 
while  learning  to  walk,  always  needs  the  nui-se's  aid.  The 
ship  left  by  the  pilot  drifts  at  once  from  her  course.  We 
cannot  do  without  continued  aid  from  above  ;  let  it  then  be 
your  prayer  to-day,  "  Forsake  me  not."  Father,  forsake 
not  Thy  child,  lest  he  fall  by  the  hand  of  the  enemy.  Shep- 
herd, forsake  not  Thy  lamb,  lest  he  wander  from  the  safety 
of  the  fold.  Great  Husbandman,  forsake  not  Thy  plant,  lest 
it  wither  and  die.  "  Forsake  me  not,  0  Lord,"  now ;  and 
forsake  me  not  at  any  moment  of  my  life.  Forsake  me  not 
in  my  joys,  lest  they  absorb  my  heart.  Forsake  me  not  in 
m/  sorrows,  lest  I  murmur  against  Thee.  Forsake  me  not 
in  (he  day  of  my  repentance,  lest  I  lose  the  hope  of  pardon, 
and  fall  into  despair ;  and  forsake  me  not  in  the  day  of  my 
atrc  flgest  faith,  lest  faith  degenerate  into  presumption.  For- 
sake me  not,  for  without  Thee  I  am  weak,  but  with  Thee  I 
am  strong.  Forsake  me  not,  for  my  path  is  dangerous,  and 
full  of  snares,  and  I  cannot  do  without  Thy  guidance.  The 
ben  forsakes  not  her  brood ;  do  Thou  then  evermore  cover 
me  with  Thy  feathers,  and  permit  me  under  Thy  wings  to 
find  my  refuge.  "  Be  not  far  from  me,  0  Lord,  for  trouble 
is  near,  for  there  is  none  to  help."  "  Leave  me  not,  neither 
forsake  me,  0  God  of  my  salvation." 

"  O,  ever  in  our  cleansed  breast 
Bid  Thine  Eternal  Spirit  rest. 
And  make  our  secret  soul  to  be 
A  temple  pure  and  worthy  Thee." 


May  2G.  Daily  headings.  147 

"  Cast  thtf  burden  upon  the  Lord,  and  He  shall  sustain  thee" 
Psiilm  Iv.  22. 

^^^/^AEE,  even  though  exercised  upon  legitimate  objects, 
llj"  '^  if  carried  to  excess,  has  in  it  the  nature  of  sin.  The 
^^''-^ — ^  precept  to  avoid  anxious  care  is  earnestly  inculcated 
by  our  Saviour,  again  and  again  ;  it  is  reiterated  by  th« 
apostles  ;  and  it  is  one  which  cannot  be  neglected  without 
involving  transgression  ;  for  the  very  essence  of  araxious  care 
is  the  imagining  that  we  .are  wiser  than  Grod,  and  the  thrust- 
ing ourselves  into  Ilis  place  to  do  for  Ilini  that  which  lie  has 
undertaken  to  do  for  us.  We  attempt  to  think  of  that  which 
we  fancy  Uc  will  forget ;  we  labor  to  take  upon  ourselves 
our  weary  burden,  as  if  He  were  unable  or  unwilling  to  take 
it  for  us.  Now  this  disobedience  to  His  plain  precept,  this 
unbelief  in  His  V/ord,  this  presumption  in  intruding  upon 
His  province,  is  all  sinful.  Yet  more  than  this,  anxious  care 
often  leads  to  acts  of  sin.  He  who  cannot  calmly  leave  his 
affairs  in  God's  hand,  but  will  carry  his  own  burden,  is  very 
likely  to  be  tempted  to  use  wrong  means  to  help  himself. 
This  sin  leads  to  a  forsaking  of  God  as  our  counsellor,  and 
resorting  instead  to  human  wisdom.  This  is  going  to  the 
"  broken  cistern  "  instead  of  to  the  "  fountain  ;  "  a  sin  which 
was  laid  against  Israel  of  old.  Anxiety  makes  us  doubt 
God's  loving  kindness,  and  thus  our  love  to  Him  grows  cold  ; 
we  feel  mistrust,  and  thus  grieve  the  Spirit  of  God,  so  that  our 
prayers  become  hindered,  our  consistent  example  marred,  and 
our  life  one  of  self-seeking.  Thus  want  of  confidence  in 
God  leads  us  to  wander  far  from  Him  ;  but  if,  through  sim- 
ple faith  in  His  promise,  we  cast  each  burden  as  it  comes 
upon  Him,  and  are  "careful  for  nothing"  because  He  un- 
dertakes to  care  for  us,  it  will  keep  us  close  to  Him.  and 
strengthen  us  against  much  temptation.  "  Thou  wilt  keep 
him  in  perfect  peace  whose  mind  is  stayed  on  Thee,  because 
he  trusteth  in  Thee." 


148  DAILY   HEADINGS.  May  27. 

"So  Mephihoshetk  dwelt  in  Jerusalem;  for  lie  did  eat  continu- 
ally at  tlie  king's  table ;   and  was  lame  in  both  Jiis  feet. 
2  Samuel  ix.  13. 

^^?|R'I^EPHIBOSHETH  was  no  great  ornament  to  a  royal 
^lill  t^'^^^'  y^*  ^^  ^^^  ^  continual  place  at  David's  board, 
^^^*^*^  because  the  king  could  see  in  his  face  the  features 
of  the  beloved  Jonathan.  Like  Mephibosheth,  we  may  cry 
unto  the  King  of  Glory,  "  What  is  Thy  servant,  that  Thou 
shouldst  look  upon  such  a  dead  dog  as  I  am  ? "  but  still  the 
Lord  indulges  us  with  most  familiar  intercourse  with  Himself, 
because  He  sees  in  our  countenances  the  remembrance  of  Hia 
dearly-beloved  Jesus.  The  Lord's  people  are  dear  for  an- 
other's  sake.  Such  is  the  love  which  the  Father  bears  to  Hia 
only  begotten,  that  for  His  sake  He  raises  His  lowly  brethren 
from  poverty  and  banishment  to  courtly  companionship,  noble 
rank,  and  royal  provision.  Their  deformity  shall  not  rob  them 
of  their  privileges.  Lameness  is  no  bar  to  sonship  ;  the  crip- 
ple is  as  much  the  heir  as  if  he  could  run  like  Asahel.  Our 
right  does  not  limp,  though  our  might  may.  A  king's  table 
is  a  noble  hiding-place  for  lame  legs,  and  at  the  gospel  feast 
we  learn  to  glory  in  infirmities,  because  the  power  of  Christ 
resteth  upon  us.  Yet  grievous  disability  may  mar  the  -per- 
sons of  the  best-loved  saints.  Here  is  one  feasted  by  David, 
and  yet  so  lame  in  both  his  feet  that  he  could  not  go  up  with 
the  king  when  he  fled  from  the  city,  and  was  therefore  ma- 
ligned and  injured  by  his  servant  Ziba.  Saints  whose  faith  is 
weak,  and  whose  knowledge  is  slender,  are  great  losers  ;  they 
are  exposed  to  many  enemies,  and  cannot  follow  the  king 
whithersoever  he  goeth.  This  disease  frequently  arises  from 
falls.  Bad  nursing  in  their  spiritual  infancy  often  causes 
converts  to  fall  into  a  despondency  from  which  they  never 
recover,  and  sin  in  other  cases  brings  broken  bones.  Lord 
help  the  lame  to  leap  like  a  hart,  and  satisfy  all  Thy  people 
with  the  bread  of  Thy  table  ! 


May  28.  daily  HEAbiiJGs.  145 

"  Whom  lie  jusUfied,   them  He  also  glorified."  —  Rom.  viii.  30. 

^EllE  is  a  precious  truth  for  tlicc,  believer.  Thou 
^'i  mayst  be  poor,  or  in  suffering,  or  unknown,  but  for 
thine  encouragement  take  a  review  of  thy  "  calling," 
and  the  consequences  that  flow  from  it,  and  especially  that 
blessed  result  here  spoken  of.  As  surely  as  thou  art  God's 
child  to-day,  so  surely  shall  all  thy  trials  soon  be  at  an 
end,  and  thou  shalt  be  rich  to  all  the  intents  of  bliss. 
Wait  awhile,  and  that  weary  head  shall  wear  the  crown  of 
glory,  and  that  hand  of  labor  shall  grasp  the  palm-branch 
of  victory.  Lament  not  thy  troubles,  but  rather  rejoice  that 
ere  long  thou  wilt  be  where  "  there  shall  be  neither  sorrow 
nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain."  The 
chariots  of  fire  are  at  thy  door,  and  a  moment  will  suffice  tj 
bear  thee  to  the  glorified.  The  everlasting  song  is  almost 
on  thy  lip.  The  portals  of  heaven  stand  open  for  thee. 
Think  not  that  thou  canst  fail  of  entering  into  rest.  If  lie 
hath  called  thee,  nothing  can  divide  thee  from  His  love.  Dis- 
tress cannot  sever  the  bond ;  the  fire  of  persecution  cannot 
burn  the  link  ;  the  hammer  of  hell  cannot  break  the  chain. 
Thou  art  secure ;  that  voice  which  called  thee  at  first,  shall 
call  thee  yet  again  from  earth  to  heaven,  from  death's  dark 
gloom  to  immortality's  unuttercd  splendors.  Rest  assured, 
the  heart  of  Him  who  has  justified  thee  beats  with  infinite 
love  towards  thee.  Thou  shalt  soon  be  with  the  glorified, 
where  thy  portion  is ;  thou  art  only  waiting  here  to  be  made 
meet  for  the  inheritance  ;  and  that  done,  the  wings  of  angely 
fihali  waft  thee  far  away  to  the  mDunt  of  peace,  and  joy,  and 
blessedness,  where 

"  Far  from  a  world  of  grief  and  sin, 
With  God  eternally  shut  in," 

thou  shalt  rest  forever  and  ever 
13* 


IS5  DAILY    READINGS.  May  29, 


"  Tliou  hatest  xcickedness."  —  Psalm  xlv.  7. 

<^.^>E  ye  angry,  and  sin  not.  There  can  hardly  be  good- 
•p  ness  in  a  man  if  he  be  not  angry  at  sin  ;  he  who 
*^  loves  truth  must  hate  every  false  way.  How  our 
Lord  Jesus  hated  it  when  the  temptation  came !  Thrice  it 
assailed  Him  in  different  forms,  but  ever  he  met  it  with, 
"  Get  thee  behind  Me,  Satan."  He  hated  it  in  others ; 
none  the  less  fervently  because  He  showed  His  hate  oftener 
in  tears  of  pity  than  in  words  of  rebuke  ;  yet  what  language 
could  be  more  stern,  more  Elijah-like,  than  the  words, 
"  Woe  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for  ye 
devour  widows'  houses,  and  for  a  pretence  make  long 
prayers."  He  hated  wickedness  so  much  that  He  bled  to 
wound  it  to  the  heart ;  He  died  that  it  might  die ;  He  was 
buried  that  He  might  bury  it  in  His  tomb ;  and  He  rose 
that  He  might  forever  trample  it  beneath  His  feet.  Christ 
is  in  the  Gospel,  and  that  Gospel  is  opposed  to  wickedness 
in  every  shape.  Wickedness  arrays  itself  in  fair  garments, 
and  imitates  the  language  of  holiness  ;  but  the  precepts  of 
Jesus,  like  His  famous  scourge  of  small  cords,  chase  it  out 
of  the  temple,  and  will  not  tolerate  it  in  the  Church.  So 
too  in  the  heart  where  Jesus  reigns,  what  war  there  is  be- 
tween Christ  and  Belial !  And  when  our  Redeemer  shall 
come  to  be  our  Judge,  those  thundering  wards,  "  Depai-t, 
ve  cursed,"  which  are,  indeed,  but  a  prolongation  of  His 
life-teaching  concerning  sin,  shall  manifest  His  abhorrence 
of  iniquity.  As  warm  as  is  His  love  to  sinners,  so  hot  is 
His  hatred  of  sin ;  as  perfect  as  is  His  righteousness,  so 
complete  shall  be  the  destruction  of  every  form  of  wicked- 
ness. 0  thou  glorious  champion  of  right,  and  destroyer 
of  wrong,  for  this  cause  hath  God,  even  thy  God,  anointed 
thee  with  the  oil  of  gladness  above  thy  felloes. 


ftiay  36.  iJAtLY    READINGS.  IM 

"  Take  us  the  foxes,  the  little  foxes  that  spoil  the  vines." 
Canticles  ii.  15. 

S^  LITTLE  thorn  may  cause  much  suffering.  A  little 
(^  cloud  may  hide  the  sun.  Little  foxes  spoil  the 
^^  vines ;  and  little  sins  do  mischief  to  the  tender 
heart.  These  little  sins  burrow  in  the  soul,  and  make  it 
full  of  that  which  is  hateful  to  Christ,  so  that  He  will  hold 
no  comfortable  fellowship  and  communion  with  us.  A  great 
sin  cannot  destroy  a  Christian,  but  a  little  sin  can  make  him 
miserable.  Jesus  will  not  walk  with  His  pcojile  unless  they 
drive  out  every  known  sin.  He  says,  "  If  ye  keep  My  com- 
mandments, ye  shall  abide  in  My  love,  even  as  I  have  kept 
My  Father's  commandments  and  abide  in  His  love."  Some 
Christians  very  seldom  enjoy  their  Savioiu-'s  presence.  How 
is  this  ?  Surely  it  must  be  an  affliction  for  a  tender  child  to 
be  separated  from  his  father.  Art  thou  a  child  of  God,  and 
yet  satisfied  to  go  on  without  seeing  thy  Father's  face  ? 
What !  thou  the  spouse  of  Christ,  and  3-ct  content  without 
His  company !  Surely,  thou  hast  fallen  into  a  sad  state,  for 
the  chaste  spouse  of  Christ  mourns  like  a  dove  without  her 
mate,  when  He  has  left  her.  Ask,  then,  the  question.  What 
has  driven  Christ  from  thee  ?  He  hides  His  face  behind  the 
wall  of  thy  sins.  That  wall  may  be  built  up  of  little  pebbles, 
as  easily  as  of  great  stones.  The  sea  is  made  of  drops  ;  the 
rocks  are  made  of  grains  :  and  the  sea  which  divides  thee 
from  Christ  may  be  filled  with  the  drops  of  thy  little  sins ; 
and  the  rock  which  has  well  nigh  wrecked  thy  bark,  may 
have  been  made  by  the  daily  working  of  the  coral  insects  of 
thy  little  sins.  If  thou  wouldst  live  with  Christ,  and  walk 
with  Christ,  and  see  Christ,  and  have  fellowship  with  Christ, 
take  heed  of  "  the  little  foxes  that  spoil  the  vines,  for  our 
vines  have  tender  grapes.''  Jesus  invites  you  to  go  txith 
Him  and  take  them.  He  will  surely,  like  Samson,  take  the 
foxes  at  once  and  easily.     Go  with  Him  to  the  hunting. 


1 52  bAiLt  READINGS.  May  3l 

"  Tlie  king  also  himself  passed  over  the  hroolc  Kidron." 
2  Samuel  xv.  23. 

)jAVID  passed  that  gloomy  brook  when  flying  with  his 
mourning  company  from  his  traitor  son.  The  man 
after  God's  own  heart  was  not  exempt  from  trouble, 
nay,  his  life  was  full  of  it.  He  was  both  the  Lord's  Anoint- 
ed, and  the  Lord's  AfBicted.  Why  then  should  we  expect 
to  escape?  At  sorrow's  gates  the  noblest  of  our  race  have 
waited  with  ashes  on  their  heads  ;  wherefore  then  should  we 
complain  as  though  some  strange  thing  had  happened  unto  us. 
The  King  of  kings  himself  was  not  faTored  with  a  more 
cheerful  or  royal  road.  He  passed  over  the  filthy  ditch  of 
Kidron,  through  which  the  filth  of  Jerusalem  flowed.  God 
had  one  Son  without  sin,  but  not  a  single  child  without  the 
rod.  It  is  a  great  joy  to  believe  that  Jesus  has  been  tempted 
in  all  points  like  as  we  are.  What  is  our  Kidron  this  morn- 
ing ?  It  is  a  faithless  friend,  a  sad  bereavement,  a  slander- 
ous reproach,  a  dark  foreboding  ?  The  King  has  passed  over 
all  these.  Is  it  bodily  pain,  poverty,  persecution,  or  con- 
tempt? Over  each  of  these  Kidrons  the  King  has  gone 
before  us.  "  In  all  our  afilictious  He  was  afflicted."  The 
idea  of  strangeness  in  our  trials  must  be  banished  at  once  and 
forever,  for  He,  who  is  the  Head  of  all  saints,  knows  by  ex 
perience  the  grief  which  we  think  so  peculiar.  All  the  citi- 
zens of  Zion  must  be  free  of  the  Honorable  Company  of 
Mourners,  of  which  the  Prince  Immanuel  is  Head  and  Captain. 
Notwithstanding  the  abasement  of  David,  he  yet  returned 
iu  triumph  to  his  city,  and  David's  Lord  arose  victorious 
from  the  grave  ;  let  us  then  be  of  good  courage,  for  we  also 
Bhall  win  the  day.  We  shall  yet  with  joy  draw  water  out  of 
the  wells  of  salvation,  though  now  for  a  season  we  have  to 
pass  by  the  noxious  streams  of  sin  and  sorrow.  Courage, 
soldiers  of  the  Cross;  the  King  himself  triumphed  after  going 
over  Kidron,  and  so  shall  you. 


Jnne  1.  DAILY   READINGS.  153 

•*  Tlie  evening  and  the  moniing  were  tlie  first  day."  —  Genesis  i.  .'». 

[(^AS  it  so  even  in  the  beginning?  Did  light  and  dark- 
ness divide  the  realm  of  time  in  the  flrst  day  ?  Then 
little  wonder  is  it  if  I  have  also  changes  in  my  cir- 
cumstances from  the  sunshine  of  prosperity  to  the  midnight 
ef  adversity.  It  will  not  always  be  the  blaze  of  noon  even  in 
my  soul  concerns  ;  I  must  expect  at  seasons  to  mourn  the  ab- 
sence of  my  former  joys,  and  seek  my  Beloved  in  the  night. 
Nor  am  I  alone  in  this,  for  all  the  Lord's  beloved  ones  have 
had  to  sing  the  mingled  song  of  judgment  and  of  mercy,  of 
trial  and  deliverance,  of  mourning  and  of  delight.  It  is  one 
of  the  arrangements  of  divine  Providence  that  day  and  night 
shall  not  cease,  either  in  the  spiritual  or  natural  creation,  till 
we  reach  the  land  of  which  it  is  written,  "  There  is  no  night 
there."  What  our  heavenly  Father  ordains  is  wise  and  good. 
What  then,  my  soul,  is  it  best  for  thee  to  do  ?  Learn  first 
to  he  content  with  this  divine  order,  and  be  willing  with  Job 
to  receive  evil  from  the  hand  of  the  Lord  as  well  as  good. 
Study  next  to  make  the  outgoings  of  the  morning  and  the  even- 
ing to  rejoice.  Praise  the  Lord  for  the  sun  of  joy  when  it 
rises,  and  for  the  gloom  of  evening  as  it  falls.  There  is 
beauty  both  in  sunrise  and  sunset ;  sing  of  it,  and  glorify  the 
Lord.  Like  the  nightingale,  pour  forth  thy  notes  at  all 
hours.  Believe  that  the  night  is  as  useful  as  the  dag.  The 
dews  of  grace  fall  heavily  in  the  night  of  sorrow.  The  stars 
of  promise  shine  forth  gloriously  amid  the  darkness  of 
grief.  Continue  thy  service  under  all  changes.  If  in  the 
day  thy  watchword  be  labor,  at  night  exchange  it  for  vjatch. 
Every  hour  has  its  duty ;  do  thou  continue  in  thy  calling  as 
the  Lord's  servant  until  He  shall  suddenly  appear  in  his 
glory.  My  soul,  thine  evening  of  old  age  and  death  13 
drawing  near ;  dread  it  not,  for  it  is  part  of  the  day ;  and 
ihe  Lord  has  said,  "I  will  cover  him  all  the  day  long." 


154  DAILY  READINGS.  June  2. 

"For  the  fiesh  lusteth  agains  ttlie  Sjnrit,  and  the  Spirit  against 
the  Jlesh."  —  Gal  v.  17. 

^S¥j?kN  every  believer's  heart  there  is  a  constant  struggle 
^^1  *^(i  between  the  old  nature  and  the  new.  The  old  na- 
y^^Ky  |ypg  jg  ygpy  activc,  and  loses  no  opportunity  of  ply- 
ing all  the  weapons  of  its  deadly  armory  against  new-born 
grace ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  new  nature  is  ever  on 
the  watch  to  resist  and  destroy  its  enemy.  Grace  within  us 
will  employ  prayer,  and  faith,  and  hope,  and  love,  to  cast 
out  the  evil ;  it  takes  unto  it  the  "whole  armor  of  God,"  and 
wrestles  earnestly.  These  two  opposing  natures  will  never 
cease  to  struggle  so  long  as  we  are  in  this  world.  The  bat- 
tle of  "  Christian  "  with  "  Apollyon  "  lasted  three  hours,  but 
the  battle  of  Christian  with  himself  lasted  all  the  way  from 
the  Wicket  Gate  to  the  River  Jordan.  The  enemy  is  so  se- 
curely intrenched  within  us  that  he  can  never  be  driven  out 
while  we  are  in  this  body :  but  although  we  are  closely  be- 
set, and  often  in  sore  conflict,  we  have  an  Almighty  Helper, 
even  Jesus,  the  Captain  of  our  salvation,  who  is  ever  with 
us,  and  who  assures  us  that  we  shall  eventually  come  off 
more  than  conquerors  through  Him.  With  such  assistance, 
the  new-born  nature  is  more  than  a  match  for  its  foes.  Are 
you  fighting  with  the  adversary  to-day  ?  Are  Satan,  the 
world,  and  the  flesh,  all  against  you  ?  Be  not  discouraged 
nor  dismayed.  Fight  on  !  For  God  Himself  is  with  you ; 
Jehovah  Nissi  is  your  banner,  and  Jehovah  Hophi  is  the 
healer  of  your  wounds.  Fear  not;  you  shall  overcome  ;  for 
who  can  defeat  Omnipotence  ?  Fight  on,  "  looking  unto 
Jesus ; "  and,  though  long  and  stern  be  the  conflict,  sweet 
will  be  the  victory,  and  glorious  the  promised  reward. 

"  From  strength  to  strength  go  on ; 
Wrestle,  and  fight,  and  pray, 
Tread  all  the  powers  of  darkness  down, 
And  win  the  well-fought  day." 


June  3.  DAILY  READINGS.  155 

■'  2'liese  were  potters,  and  those  that  dwelt  among  plants  and  hedges: 
there  theu  dwelt  with  the  king  fur  his  work." —  1  Cliron.  iv.  23. 


JOTTERS  were  not  the  very  highest  grade  of  workers, 
1^  but  "the  king"  needed  potters,  and  therefore  they 
were  in  royal  service,  although  the  material  upon 
which  they  worked  was  nothing  but  clay.  We,  too,  may  be 
engaged  in  the  most  menial  part  of  the  Lord's  work,  but  it 
is  a  great  privilege  to  do  anything  for  "  the  king ; "  and 
therefore  we  will  abide  in  our  calling,  hoping  that,  "  although 
we  have  lien  among  the  pots,  yet  shall  we  be  as  the  wings 
of  a  dove  covered  with  silver,  and  her  feathers  with  yellow 
gold."  The  text  tells  us  of  those  who  diuelt  among  ■plants 
and  hedges,  having  rough,  rustic,  hedging  and  ditching  work 
to  do.  They  may  have  desired  to  live  in  the  city,  amid  its 
life,  society,  and  refinement,  but  they  kept  their  appointed 
places,  for  they  also  were  doing  the  king's  work.  The  place 
of  our  habitation  is  fixed,  and  we  are  not  to  remove  from  it 
out  of  whim  and  caprice,  but  seek  to  serve  the  Lord  in  it,  by 
being  a  blessing  to  those  among  whom  we  reside.  These 
potters  and  gardeners  had  royal  company,  for  they  dwelt 
"  with  the  king,"  and  although  among  hedges  and  plants, 
they  dwelt  with  the  king  there.  No  lawful  place,  or  gracious 
occupation,  however  mean,  can  debar  us  from  communion 
with  our  divine  Lord.  In  visiting  hovels,  swarming  lodging- 
houses,  workhouses,  or  jails,  we  may  go  with  the  king.  In  all 
works  of  faith  we  may  count  upon  Jesus'  fellowship.  It  is  when 
we  are  in  His  work  that  we  may  reckon  upon  His  smile.  Ye  un- 
known workers,  who  are  occupied  for  your  Lord  amid  the  dirt 
and  wretchedness  of  the  lowest  of  the  low,  be  of  good  cheer, 
for  jewels  have  been  found  upon  dunghills  ere  now,  earthen 
pots  have  been  filled  with  heavenly  treasure,  and  ill  weeds 
have  been  transformed  into  precious  flowers.  Dwell  ye  with 
the  King  for  His  work,  and  when  He  writes  His  chroi  icles 
your  name  shall  be  recorded. 


156  DAlLV  liEADiKGS.  June  4. 

"  The  kindness  and  love  of'  Ood  our  Saviour."  —  Titua  iii.  4. 


^OW  sweet  it  is  to  behold  the  Saviour  communing 
Ij^  with  His  own  beloved  people  !  There  can  be  noth- 
ing  more  delightful  than,  by  the  divine  Spirit,  to  be 
led  into  this  fertile  field  of  delight.  Let  the  mind  for  an 
instant  consider  the  history  of  the  Redeemer's  love,  and  a 
thousand  enchanting  acts  of  affection  will  suggest  themselves, 
all  of  which  have  had  for  their  design  the  weaving  of  the 
heart  into  Christ,  and  the  intertwisting  of  the  thoughts  and 
emotions  of  the  renewed  soul  with  the  mind  of  Jesus.  When 
we  meditate  upon  this  amazing  love,  and  behold  the  all- 
glorious  Kinsman  of  the  Church  endowing  her  with  all  His 
ancient  wealth,  our  souls  may  well  faint  for  joy.  Who  is  he 
that  can  endure  such  a  weight  of  love  ?  That  partial  sense 
of  it  which  the  Holy  Spirit  is  sometimes  pleased  to  afford 
is  more  than  the  soul  can  contain ;  how  transporting  must 
be  a  complete  view  of  it !  When  the  soul  shall  have  under- 
standing to  discern  all  the  Saviour's  gifts,  wisdom  wherewith 
to  estimate  them,  and  time  in  which  to  meditate  upon  them, 
such  as  the  world  to  come  will  afford  us,  we  shall  then  com- 
mune with  Jesus  in  a  nearer  manner  than  at  present.  But 
who  can  imagine  the  sweetness  of  such  fellowship  ?  It  must 
be  one  of  the  things  which  have  not  entered  into  the  heart 
of  man,  but  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love 
Him.  Oh,  to  burst  open  the  door  of  our  Joseph's  granaries, 
and  see  the  plenty  which  He  hath  stored  up  for  us  !  This 
will  overwhelm  us  with  love.  By  faith  we  see  as  in  a  glass 
darkly  the  reflected  image  of  His  unbounded  treasures,  but 
when  we  shall  actually  see  the  heavenly  things  themselves, 
with  our  own  eyes,  how  deep  will  be  the  stream  of  fellowship 
in  which  our  soul  shall  bathe  itself!  Till  then,  our  loudest 
Bonnets  shall  be  reserved  for  our  loving  benefactor,  Jesus 
Christ,  our  Lord,  whose  love  to  us  is  wonderful,  passing  the 
love  of  women. 


June  5.  DAILY    HEADINGS.  15"? 


"  Tilt  Lord  shut  him  in."  —  Genesis  vii.  16. 

^QAH  was  shut  in  away  from  all  the  world  by  the  hand 
of  divine  love.  The  door  of  electing  purpose  inter- 
poses between  us  and  the  world  which  lieth  in  the 
wicked  one.  We  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  our  Lord 
Jesus  was  not  of  the  world.  Into  the  sin,  the  gayety,  the 
pursuits  of  the  multitude  we  cannot  enter ;  we  cannot  play 
in  the  streets  of  Vanity  Fair  with  the  children  of  darkness, 
for  our  heavenly  Father  has  shut  us  in.  Noah  was  shut  in 
with  his  God.  "  Come  thou  into  the  ark,"  was  the  Lord's 
invitation,  by  which  He  clearly  showed  that  Ue  himself  in- 
tended to  dwell  in  the  ark  with  His  servant  and  his  family. 
Thus  all  the  chosen  dwell  in  God  and  God  in  them.  Happy 
people  to  be  enclosed  in  the  same  circle  which  contains  God 
in  the  Trinity  of  His  persons,  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit.  Let 
us  never  be  inattentive  to  that  gracious  call,  "  Come,  my 
people,  enter  thou  into  thy  chambers,  and  shut  thy  doors 
about  thee,  and  hide  thyself  as  it  were  for  a  little  moment, 
until  the  indignation  be  overpast."  Noah  was  so  shut  in  that 
no  evil  could  reach  him.  Floods  did  but  lift  him  heaven-ward, 
and  winds  did  but  waft  him  on  his  way.  Outside  of  the  ark  all 
was  ruin,  but  inside  all  was  rest  and  peace,  AVithout  Christ 
wc  perish,  but  in  Christ  Jesus  there  is  perfect  safety.  Noah 
was  so  fchut  in  that  he  could  not  even  desire  to  come  out,  and 
these  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus  are  in  Him  forever.  They  shall 
go  no  more  out  forever,  for  eternal  faithfulness  has  shut 
them  in,  and  infernal  malice  cannot  drag  them  out.  The 
Prince  of  the  house  of  David  shutteth  and  no  man  opeucth  ; 
and  when  once  in  the  last  days,  as  Master  of  the  house.  He 
Bhall  rise  up  and  shut  to  the  door,  it  will  be  in  vain  for  mere 
professors  to  knock,  and  cry.  Lord,  Lord,  open  unto  us,  for 
that  same  door  which  shuts  in  the  wise  virgins  will  r^hut  oul 
the  foolish  forever.  Lord,  shut  me  in  by  Thy  grace. 
14 


15B  DAILY    HEADINGS.  Juiie  6. 


"Behold,  I  am  vile." — Job  xl.  4. 


^]]?S[^NE  cheering  word,  poor  lost  sinner,  for  thee!  You 
wtE^I  think  you  must  not  come  to  God  because  you  are 
i^^^^^^  vile.  Now,  there  is  not  a  saint  living  on  earth  but 
has  been  made  to  feel  that  he  is  vile.  If  Job,  and  Isaiah, 
and  Paul  were  all  obliged  to  say,  I  am  vile,  oh,  poor  sinner, 
wilt  thou  be  ashamed  to  join  in  the  same  confession.  If 
divine  grace  does  not  eradicate  all  sin  from  the  believer,  how 
dost  thou  hope  to  do  it  thyself?  and  if  God  loves  His  people 
while  they  are  yet  vile,  dost  thou  think  thy  vileness  will  pre- 
vent His  loving  thee  ?  Believe  on  Jesus,  thou  outcast  of  the 
world's  society !     Jesus  calls  thee,  and  such  as  thou  art. 

"  Not  the  righteous,  not  the  righteous  ; 
Sinners,  Jesus  came  to  call." 

Even  now  say,  "  Thou  hast  died  for  sinners ;  I  am  a  sinner. 
Lord  Jesus,  sprinkle  Thy  blood  on  me  ; "  if  thou  wilt  confess 
thy  sin,  thou  shalt  find  pardon.  If,  now,  with  all  thy  heart, 
thou  wilt  say,  "  I  am  vile  ;  wash  me,"  thou  shalt  be  washed 
now.  If  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  enable  thee  from  thy  heart  to 
cry,— 

"  Just  as  I  am,  without  one  plea 
But  that  Thy  blood  was  shed  for  me, 
And  that  Thou  bid'st  me  come  to  Thee, 
O,  Lamb  of  God,  I  come !  " — 

thou  shalt  rise  from  reading  this  morning's  portion  with  all 
thy  sins  pardoned  ;  and  though  thou  didst  wake  this  morning 
with  every  sin  that  man  hath  ever  committed  on  thy  head, 
thou  shalt  rest  to-night  accepted  in  the  Beloved  ;  though  once 
degraded  with  the  rags  of  sin,  thou  shalt  be  adorned  with  a 
robe  of  righteousness,  and  appear  white  as  the  angels  are. 
For  "  now,"  mark  it,  "  now  is  the  accepted  time."  If  thou 
"  believest  on  Him  who  justifieth  the  ungodly  thou  art  saved." 
Oh  !  may  the  Holy  Spirit  give  thee  saving  faith  in  Him  wha 
receives  the  vilest. 


June  7.  DAILY    BEADINGS.  159 


"Fe  that  love  the  Lord,  hate  evil."  —  Psalm  xcvii.  10. 

,nOU  hast  good  reason  to  "hate  evil;"  for  only  con- 
li  sidor  what  harm  it  has  already  wrought  thee.     Oh, 

^ ^  what  a  world  of  mischief  sin  has  brought  into  thy 

-/  heart !  Sin  blindotli  thee,  so  that  thou  couldst  not  sec  the 
.  beauty  of  the  Saviour  ;  it  made  thcc  deaf,  so  that  thou  couldst 
not  hear  the  Redeemer's  tender  invitations.  Sin  turneJ  thy 
feet  into  the  way  of  death,  and  poured  poison  into  the  very 
fountain  of  thy  being  ;  it  tainted  thy  heart,  and  made  il 
"  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately  wicked."  Oh, 
what  a  creature  thou  wast  when  evil  had  done  its  utmost 
with  thee,  before  divine  grace  interposed  !  Thou  wast  an 
heir  of  wrath  even  as  others ;  thou  didst  "  run  with  the 
multitude  to  do  evil."  Such  were  all  of  us  ;  but  Paul  reminds 
us,  "  but  ye  are  washed,  but  ye  are  sanctified,  but  ye  are 
justified  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  by  the  Spirit  of 
our  God."  We  have  good  reason,  indeed,  for  hating  evil 
when  we  look  back  and  trace  its  deadly  workings.  Such  mis- 
chief did  evil  do  us,  that  our  souls  would  have  been  lost  had 
not  omnipotent  love  interfered  to  redeem  us.  Even  now  it 
is  an  active  enemy,  ever  watching  to  do  us  hurt,  and  to  drag 
us  to  perdition.  Therefore  "  hate  evil,"  0  Christians,  unless 
you  desire  trouble.  If  you  would  strew  your  path  with  thorns, 
and  plant  nettles  in  your  death-pillow,  then  neglect  to  "hate 
evil ; "  but  if  you  would  live  a  happy  life,  and  die  a  peaceful 
death,  then  walk  in  all  the  ways  of  holiness,  hating  evil,  even 
unto  the  cud.  If  you  truly  love  your  Saviour,  and  would 
honor  Ilim,  then  "  hate  evil."  We  know  of  no  cure  for  the 
love  of  evil  in  a  Christian  like  abundant  intercourse  with  the 
Lord  Jesus.  Dwell  much  with  Him,  and  it  is  impossible  for 
you  to  be  at  peace  with  sin. 

'•  Order  my  footsteps  by  Thy  Word, 
And  make  my  heart  sincere ; 
Let  sin  have  no  dominion,  Lord, 
But  keep  my  couscience  clear." 


160  DAILY    READINGS.  June  8. 

"  There  fell  down  many  slain,  because  the  war  was  of  Ood." 
1  Chron.  v.  22. 

AjJ^I^AIlIlIOK,  fighting  under  the  banner  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
wWfm  observe  this  verse  with  holy  joy,  for  as  it  was  in  the 
**^^^  days  of  old,  so  is  it  now ;  if  the  war  be  of  God,  the 
victory  is  sure.  The  sons  of  Reuben,  and  the  Gadites,  and 
the  half  tribe  of  IMauasseh,  could  barely  muster  five  and  forty 
thousand  fighting  men  ;  and  yet  in  their  war  with  the  Hagar- 
stes,  they  slew  "  men  a  hundred  thousand,"  "  for  they  cried 
^.0  God  in  the  battle,  and  He  was  entreated  of  them,  because 
\hej  put  their  trust  in  Him."  The  Lord  saveth  not  by  many 
nor  by  few;  it  is  ours  to  go  forth  in  Jehovah's  name  if 
we  be  but  a  handful  of  men,  for  the  Lord  of  Hosts  is  with  us 
for  our  Captain.  They  did  not  neglect  buckler,  and  sword, 
and  bow,  neither  did  they  place  their  trust  in  these  weapons  ; 
we  must  use  all  fitting  means,  but  our  confidence  must  rest 
in  the  Lord  alone,  for  He  is  the  sword  and  the  shield  of  His 
people.  The  great  reason  of  their  extraordinary  success  lay 
in  the  fact  that  "  the  war  was  of  God."  Beloved,  in  fighting 
with  sin  without  and  within,  with  error  doctrinal  or  practical, 
with  spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places  or  low  places,  with 
devils  and  the  devil's  allies,  you  are  waging  Jehovah's  war, 
and  unless  He  himself  can  be  worsted,  you  need  not  fear 
defeat.  Quail  not  before  superior  numbers,  shrink  not  from 
difficulties  or  impossibilities,  flinch  not  at  wounds  or  death, 
unite  with  the  two-edged  sword  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  slain 
shall  lie  in  heaps.  The  battle  is  the  Lord's,  and  He  will  deliver 
His  enemies  into  our  hands.  With  steadfast  foot,  strong 
hand,  dauntless  heart,  and  flaming  zeal,  rush  to  the  conflict, 
and  the  hosts  of  evil  shall  fly  like  chafi"  before  the  gale. 

"  Stand  up  !  stand  up  for  Jesus!  To  Him  that  overcometh, 
The  strife  will  not  be  long ;  A  crown  of  life  shall  be ; 

This  day  the  noise  of  battle,  He  with  the  King  of  glory 
The  next  the  victor's  song :  Shall  rpign  eternally." 


June  9.  DAILY    READINGS.  t61 

— V — ■ •      — — — 

•*  The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us,  whereof  toe  are  glad." 
Psalm  cxxvi.  3. 

St^|i^^OME  Christians  are  sadly  prone  to  tool  on  the  dark 
^^^'ij  siidc  of  everything,  and  to  dwell  more  upon  what  they 
^^^^  have  gone  through  than  upon  what  Ciod  has  done  for 
them.  Ask  for  their  impression  of  the  Christian  life,  and  they 
will  describe  their  continual  conflicts,  their  deep  afflictions, 
their  sad  adversities,  and  the  sinfulness  of  their  hearts,  yet 
with  scarcely  any  allusion  to  the  mercy  and  help  which  God  has 
vouchsafed  them.  But  a  Christian  whose  soul  is  in  a  healthy 
state  will  come  forward  joyously,  and  say,  "  I  will  speak,  not 
about  myself,  but  to  the  honor  of  my  God.  lie  hath  brought 
me  up  out  of  a  horrible  pit,  and  out  of  the  miry  clay,  and  set 
my  feet  upon  a  rock,  and  established  my  goings  :  and  He  hath 
put  a  now  song  in  my  mouth,  even  praise  unto  our  God.  The 
Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  me,  whereof  I  am  glad." 
Such  an  abstract  of  experience  as  this  is  the  very  best  that 
any  child  of  God  can  present.  It  is  true  that  we  endure  trials, 
but  it  is  just  as  true  that  we  are  delivered  out  of  them.  It  is 
true  that  we  have  our  corruptions,  and  mournfully  do  we  know 
this,  but  it  is  quite  as  true  that  we  have  an  all-sufficient  Sa- 
viour, who  overcomes  these  corruptions,  and  delivers  us  from 
their  dominion.  In  looking  back,  it  would  be  wrong  to  deny 
that  we  have  been  in  the  Slough  of  Despond,  and  have  crept 
along  the  Valley  of  Humiliation ;  but  it  would  be  equally 
wicked  to  forget  that  we  have  been  throurjh  them  safely  and 
profitably;  we  have  not  remained  in  them,  thanks  to  our  Al- 
mighty Helper  and  Leader,  who  has  brought  us  "  out  into  a 
wealthy  place."  The  deeper  our  troubles,  the  louder  our 
thanks  to  God,  who  has  led  us  through  all,  and  preserved  U8 
until  now.  Our  griefs  cannot  mar  the  melody  of  our  praise  ; 
we  reckon  them  to  be  the  bass  part  of  our  life's  song,  "  lie 
hath  done  great  things  for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad." 
14* 


162  DAILY    READINGS.  JUDO  10. 


"  We  live  unto  the  Lord."  —  Romans  xiv.  8. 

[WF  God  had  willed  it,  each  of  us  might  have  entered 
heaven  at  the  moment  of  conversion.  It  was  not 
absolutely  necessary  for  our  preparation  for  immor- 
tality that  we  should  tarry  here.  It  is  possible  for  a  man  to 
be  taken  to  heaven,  and  to  be  found  meet  to  be  a  partaker 
of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light,  though  he  has  but 
just  believed  in  Jesus.  It  is  true  that  our  sanctification  is  a 
long  and  continued  process,  and  we  shall  not  be  perfected 
till  we  lay  aside  our  bodies  and  enter  within  the  veil ;  but  nev- 
ertheless, had  the  Lord  so  willed  it.  He  might  have  changed 
as  from  imperfection  to  perfection,  and  have  taken  us  to 
heaven  at  once.  Why  then  are  we  here  ?  Would  God  keep 
His  children  out  of  paradise  a  single  moment  longer  than  was 
necessary?  Why  is  the  army  of  the  living  God  still  on  the 
battle-field,  when  one  charge  might  give  them  the  victory  ? 
Why  are  His  children  still  wandering  hither  and  thither 
through  a  maze,  when  a  solitary  word  from  His  lips  would 
bring  them  into  the  centre  of  their  hopes  in  heaven  ?  The 
answer  is  —  They  are  here  that  they  may  "  live  unto  the  Lord,''' 
and  may  bring  others  to  know  His  love.  We  remain  on  earth 
as  sowers  to  scatter  good  seed  ;  as  ploughmen  to  break  up  the 
fallow  ground  ;  as  heralds  publishing  salvation.  We  are  here 
as  the  "  salt  of  the  earth,"  to  be  a  blessing  to  the  world. 
We  are  here  to  glorify  Christ  in  our  daily  life.  We  are 
here  as  workers  for  Him,  and  as  "  workers  together  with 
Him."  Let  us  see  that  our  life  answereth  its  end.  Let  us 
live  earnest,  useful,  holy  lives,  to  "  the  praise  of  the  glory 
of  His  grace,"  Meanwhile  we  long  to  be  with  Him,  and 
daily  sing-- 

"  My  heart  is  with  Hira  on  His  throne, 
And  ill  can  brook  delay  ; 
Each  moment  listening  for  the  ToicCf 
'  Rise  up,  and  come  away,'  " 


June   11.  D^ILT    REA PINGS.  IG3 


"Wc  love  III  in  because  lie  first  loved  us."  —  1  John  iv.  19. 

■HERE  is  no  light  in  the  planet  but  that  which  pro- 
)^  ceedeth  from  the  sun  ;  and  there  is  no  true  love  to 
Jesus  in  the  heart  but  that  which  Cometh  from  the 
Lord  Jesus  Ilimself.  From  this  overflowing  fountain  of  the 
infinite  love  of  God,  all  our  love  to  God  must  spring.  Thia 
must  ever  be  a  great  and  certain  truth,  that  we  love  Him  for 
no  other  reason  than  because  lie  first  loved  us.  Our  love 
to  Him  is  the/air  offspring  of  His  love  to  us.  Cold  admira- 
tion, when  studying  the  works  of  God,  any  one  may  have  ; 
but  the  warmth  of  love  can  only  be  kindled  in  the  heart  by 
God's  Spirit.  How  great  the  wonder  that  such  as  we  should 
ever  have  been  brought  to  love  Jesus  at  all !  How  marvellous 
that  when  we  had  rebelled  against  Him,  He  should,  by  a 
display  of  such  amazing  love,  seek  to  draw  us  back.  No  ! 
never  should  we  have  had  a  grain  of  love  towards  God  unless 
it  had  been  sown  in  us  by  the  sweet  seed  of  His  love  to  us. 
Love,  then,  has  for  its  parent  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad 
in  the  heart ;  but  after  it  is  thus  divinely  born,  it  must  be 
divinely  nourished.  Love  is  an  exotic ;  it  is  not  a  plant 
which  will  flourish  naturally  in  human  soil,  it  must  be  watered 
from  above.  Love  to  Jesus  is  a  flower  of  a  delicate  nature  ; 
and  if  it  received  no  nourishment  but  that  which  could  be 
drawn  from  the  rock  of  our  hearts,  it  would  soon  wither. 
As  love  comes  from  heaven,  so  it  must  feed  on  heavenly 
bread.  It  cannot  exist  in  the  wilderness  unless  it  be  fed  Ly 
manna  from  on  bigh.  Love  must  feed  on  love.  The  verj 
Boul  and  life  of  our  love  to  God  is  His  love  to  us. 

"  I  love  Thee,  Lord,  but  with  no  love  of  mine, 

For  I  have  none  to  give  ; 
I  love  Thcc,  Lord,  but  all  the  love  is  Thine, 

For  by  Thy  love  I  live. 
I  am  as  nothing,  and  rejoice  to  be 
Emptied,  and  lost,  and  swa  lowed  up  in  Thee." 


164  DAILY    HEADINGS.  JuDC  12 

"Thou  art  weighed  in  the  balances  and  found  wanting" 
Daniel  v.  27. 

f^T  is  well  frequently  to  weigh  ourselves  in  the  scale  of 
God's  Word.  You  will  find  it  a  holy  exercise  to  read 
some  psalin  of  David,  and,  as  you  meditate  upon 
each  verse,  to  ask  yourself,  "  Can  I  say  this  ?  Have  I  felt 
as  David  felt  ?  Has  my  heart  ever  been  broken  on  account  of 
sin,  as  his  was  when  he  penned  his  penitential  psalms  ?  Has 
my  soul  been  full  of  true  confidence  in  the  hour  of  difficulty, 
as  his  was  when  he  sang  of  God's  mercies  in  the  cave  of 
Adullam,  or  in  the  holds  of  Engedi  ?  Do  I  take  the  cup 
of  salvation  and  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  ? "  Then 
turn  to  the  life  of  Christ,  and,  as  you  read  ask  yourselves 
how  far  you  are  conformed  to  His  likeness  Endeavor  to 
discover  whether  you  have  the  meekness,  the  humility,  the 
lovely  spirit  which  He  constantly  inculcated  and  displayed. 
Take,  then,  the  epistles,  and  see  whether  you  can  go  with 
the  apostle  in  what  he  said  of  his  experience.  Have  you 
ever  cried  out  as  he  did  —  "0  wretched  man  that  I  am  ! 
who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death  ? "  Have 
you  ever  felt  his  self-abasement  ?  Have  you  seemed  to 
yourself  the  chief  of  sinners,  and  less  than  the  least  of  all 
saints  ?  Have  you  known  anything  of  his  devotion  ?  Could 
you  join  with  him  and  say,  "  For  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to 
die  is  gain  "  ?  If  we  thus  read  God's  Word  as  a  test  of  our 
spiritual  condition,  we  shall  have  good  reason  to  stop  many 
a  time  and  say,  "  Lord,  I  feel  I  have  never  yet  been  here ; 

0  bring  me  here  !  give  me  true  penitence,  such  as  this  I  read 
of.  Give  me  real  faith  ;  give  me  warmer  zeal ;  inflame  me 
with  more  fervent  love ;  grant  me  the  grace  of  meekness ; 
make  me  more  like  Jesus.  Let  me  no  longer  be  '  found 
wanting,'  when  weighed  in  the  balances  of  the  sanctuary,  lest 

1  be  found  wanting  in  the  scales  of  judgment."  *'  Judge 
yourselves  that  ye  be  not  judged." 


June  13.  DAILY    READINGS.  165 

"  Whosoever  tcill,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely."  —  Rev.  xxii.l7 

^ESUS  says,  "  Take  freely."  He  wants  no  payment 
I  .\<  or  preparation.  He  seeks  no  reconnnendation  from 
"^■^  our  virtuous  emotions.  If  you  have  no  good  feelings, 
if  you  be  but  willing,  you  are  invited  ;  therefore  come  !  You 
have  no  belief  and  no  repentance,  —  come  to  Ilim,  and  He 
will  give  them  to  you.  Come  just  as  you  are,  and  take 
"  freely,"  without  money  and  without  price.  He  gives  Him- 
self to  needy  ones.  The  drinking  fountains  at  the  corners 
of  our  streets  are  valuable  institutions ;  and  we  can  hardly 
imagine  any  one  so  foolish  as  to  feel  for  his  purse  when  he 
stands  before  one  of  them,  and  to  cry,  "  I  cannot  drink  be- 
cause I  have  not  five  pounds  in  my  pocket."  However  poor 
the  man  is,  there  is  the  fountain,  and  just  as  he  is  he  may 
drink  of  it.  Thirsty  passengers,  as  they  go  by,  whether 
they  are  dressed  in  fustian  or  in  broadcloth,  do  not  look  fur 
any  warrant  for  drinking ;  its  being  there  is  their  warrant 
for  taking  its  water  freely.  The  liberality  of  some  good 
friends  has  put  the  refreshing  crystal  there,  and  we  take  it, 
and  ask  no  questions.  Perhaps  the  only  persons  who  need 
go  thirsty  through  the  street  where  there  is  a  drinking  foun- 
tain are  the  fine  ladies  and  gentlemen  who  are  in  their  car- 
riages. They  are  very  thirsty,  but  cannot  think  of  being  so 
vulgar  as  to  get  out  to  drink.  It  would  demean  them,  they 
think,  to  drink  at  a  common  drinking  fountain :  so  they  ride 
by  with  parched  lips.  Oh,  how  many  there  are  who  are  rich 
in  their  own  good  works,  and  cannot  therefore  come  to 
Christ!  "  I  will  not  be  saved,'"  they  say,  "  in  the  same  way 
as  the  harlot  or  the  swearer."  What !  go  to  heaven  in  the 
Bame  way  as  a  chimneysweep  !  Is  there  no  pathway  to 
glory  but  the  path  which  led  the  thief  there  ?  I  will  not  be 
saved  that  way.  Such  proud  boasters  must  remain  without 
the  living  water  ;  but,  "  Whosoever  will,  let  him  TAKE 
THE  WATEll  OF  LIFE  FREELY." 


166  DAILY    READINGS.  JuTie  14. 

^^  Delight  thyself  also  in  the  Lord."  —  Psalm  xxxvii.  4. 

0  HE  teaclnng  of  these  words  must  seem  very  surprising 
to  those  who  are  strangers  to  vital  godlinesa,  but  to 
the  sincere  believer  it  is  only  the  inculcation  of  a 
recognized  truth.  The  life  of  the  believer  is  here  described 
as  a  delight  in  God,  and  we  are  thus  certified  of  the  great 
fact  that  true  religion  overflows  with  happiness  and  joy. 
Ungodly  persons  and  mere  professors  never  look  upon  re- 
ligion as  a  joyful  thing;  to  them  it  is  service,  duty,  or  neces- 
sity, but  never  pleasure  or  delight.  If  they  attend  to  religion 
at  all,  it  is  either  that  they  may  gain  thereby,  or  else  because 
they  dare  not  do  otherwise.  The  thought  of  delight  in  re- 
ligion is  so  strange  to  most  men,  that  no  two  words  in  their 
language  stand  farther  apart  than  "holiness"  and  "  delight." 
But  believers  who  know  Christ  understand  that  delight  and 
faith  are  so  blessedly  united  that  the  gates  of  hell  cannot 
prevail  to  separate  them.  They  who  love  God  with  all  their 
hearts  find  that  His  ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness,  and  all 
His  paths  are  peace.  Such  joys,  such  brimful  delights,  such 
overflowing  blessedness,  do  the  saints  discover  in  their  Lord, 
that,  so  far  from  serving  Him  from  custom,  they  would  fol- 
low Him  though  all  the  world  cast  out  His  name  as  evil. 
We  fear  not  God  because  of  any  compulsion  ;  our  faith  is  no 
fetter,  our  profession  is  no  bondage ;  we  are  not  dragged  to 
holiness,  nor  driven  to  duty.  No,  our  piety  is  our  pleasure, 
our  hope  is  our  happiness,  our  duty  is  our  delight. 

.Delight  and  true  religion  are  as  allied  as  root  and  flower ; 
as  indivisible  as  truth  and  certainty ;  they  are,  in  fact,  tw« 
precious  jewels  glittering  side  by  side  in  a  setting  of  gold. 

"  'Tis  when  we  taste  Thy  love, 
Our  joys  divinely  grow, 
Unspeakable  like  those  above, 
And  heaven  begins  below." 


June   15.  DAILY   HEADINGS.  167 

"And  Sarah  said,  Ood  hath  made  me  to  lauyh,  so  that  all  that 
hear  will  laugh  with  me."  —  Genesis  xxi.  6. 

VIT  was  far  above  the  power  of  nature,  and  even  con- 
>c^  trary  to  its  laws,  that  the  aged  Sarah  should  be  hon- 
'•'^  orcd  with  a  son  ;  and  even  so  it  is  beyond  all  ordinary 
rules  that  I,  a  poor,  helpless,  undone  sinner,  should  find 
grace  to  bear  about  in  my  soul  the  indwelling  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  I,  who  once  despaired,  as  well  I  might,  —  for 
my  nature  was  as  dry,  and  withered,  and  barren,  and  ac- 
cursed as  a  howling  wilderness,  —  even  I  have  been  made  to 
bring  forth  fruit  unto  holiness.  Well  may  my  mouth  be 
filled  with  joyous  laughter,  because  of  the  singular,  surpris- 
ing grace  which  I  have  received  of  the  Lord,  for  I  have 
found  Jesus,  the  promised  seed,  and  He  is  mine  forever. 
This  day  will  I  lift  up  psalms  of  triumph  unto  the  Lord,  who 
has  remembered  my  low  estate,  for  "  my  heart  rejoiceth  in 
the  Lord ;  mine  horn  is  exalted  in  the  Lord ;  my  mouth  is 
enlarged  over  mine  enemies,  because  I  rejoice  in  Thy  salva- 
tion." I  would  have  all  those  that  hear  of  my  great  deliver- 
ance from  hell,  and  my  most  blessed  visitation  from  on  high, 
laugh  for  joy  with  me.  I  would  surprise  my  family  with  my 
abundant  peace  ;  I  would  delighl  my  friends  with  my  ever- 
increasing  happiness ;  I  would  edify  the  Church  with  my 
grateful  confessions ;  and  even  impress  the  world  with  the 
cheerfulness  of  my  daily  conversation.  Bunyan  tells  us  that 
Mercy  laughed  in  her  sleep,  and  no  wonder  when  she  dreamed 
of  Jesus ;  my  joy  shall  not  stop  short  of  hers  while  my  Be- 
loved is  the  theme  of  my  daily  thoughts.  The  Lord  Jesus 
is  a  deep  sea  of  joy;  my  soul  shall  dive  therein,  shall  be 
swallowed  up  in  the  delights  of  His  society.  Sarah  looked 
on  her  Isaac,  and  laughed  with  excess  of  rapture,  and  all  hei 
friends  laughed  with  her;  and  thou,  my  soul,  look  on  tb| 
Jesus,  and  bid  heaven  and  earth  unite  in  thy  joy  unspeakalwe 


168  DAILY  HEADINGS.  June  16. 

"And  I  give  unto  them  eternal  life,  and  they  shall  never  perish." 
John  X.  28. 

^5|^'HE  Christian  should  never  think  or  speak  lightly  of 
^^i  ^"^^^^^^'  -^^^  ^  ^^^^^  of  ^od  to  mistrust  His  love, 
'***^  His  truth,  His  faithfulness,  must  be  greatly  displeas- 
ing to  Him.  How  can  we  ever  grieve  Him  by  doubting  His 
upholding  grace  ?  Christian  !  it  is  contrary  to  every  promise 
of  God's  precious  Word  that  thou  shouldst  ever  be  forgotten 
or  left  to  perish.  If  it  could  be  so,  how  could  He  be  true 
who  has  said,  "  Can  a  woman  forget  her  sucking  child,  that 
she  should  not  have  compassion  on  the  son  of  her  womb  ? 
Yea,  they  may  forget,  yet  will  I  never  forget  thee."  What 
were  the  value  of  that  promise  —  "  The  mountains  shall  de- 
part, and  the  hills  be  removed ;  but  My  kindness  shall  not 
depart  from  thee,  neither  shall  the  covenant  of  My  peace  be 
removed,  saith  the  Lord  that  hath  mercy  on  thee  "  ?  Wliere 
were  the  truth  of  Christ's  words  —  "I  give  unto  My  sheep 
eternal  life  ;  and  they  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any 
man  pluck  them  out  of  My  hand.  My  Father  which  gave 
them  Me  is  greater  than  all,  and  no  man  is  able  to  pluck  them 
out  of  My  Father's  hand  "  ?  AVhere  were  the  doctrines  of 
grace  ?  They  would  be  all  disproved  if  one  child  of  God 
should  perish.  Whore  were  the  veracity  of  God,  His  honor. 
His  power.  His  grace,  His  covenant.  His  oath,  if  any  of  those 
for  whom  Christ  has  died,  and  who  have  put  their  trust  in 
Him,  should  nevertheless  be  cast  away  ?  Banish  those  un- 
believing fears  which  so  dishonor  God.  Arise,  shake  thy- 
self from  the  dust,  and  ptit  on  thy  beautiful  garments.  Re- 
member it  is  sinful  to  doubt  His  Word  wherein  He  has 
promised  thee  that  thou  shalt  never  perish.  Let  the  eternal 
life  within  thee  express  itself  in  confident  rejoicing. 

"  The  gospel  bears  my  spirit  up  ; 
A  faithful  and  unchanging  God 
Lays  the  foundation  for  my  hope 
In  oaths,  and  promises,  and  blood." 


\t.  DAILY   READINGS.  169 

"  Help,  Lord."  —  Psalm  xii.  1. 

'';  IIE  prnycr  itself  is  remarkable,  for  it  is  short,  but  sea- 
■|t  soiiahlt;,  seutenlions,  and  suggestive.  David  mourned 
the  fewness  of  faithful  men,  and  therefore  lifted  up 
his  heart  in  supplication ;  when  the  creature  failed,  he  flew 
to  the  Creator.  He  evidently  felt  his  own  weakness,  or  he 
would  not  have  cried  for  help  ;  but  at  the  same  time  he  in- 
tended honestly  to  exert  himself  for  the  cause  of  truth,  for 
the  word  "  help  "  is  inapplicable  where  we  ourselves  do  noth- 
ing. There  is  much  of  directness,  clearness  of  perception,  and 
distinctness  of  utterance  in  this  petition  of  two  words  ;  much 
more,  indeed,  than  in  the  long  rambling  outpourings  of  cer- 
tain professors.  The  Psalmist  runs  straightforward  to  hia 
God,  with  a  well-considered  prayer ;  he  knows  what  he  ia 
seeking,  and  where  to  seek  it.  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray  in 
the  same  blessed  manner. 

The  occasions  for  the  use  of  this  prayer  are  frequent.  In 
'providential  afflictions  how  suitable  it  is  for  tried  believers 
who  find  all  helpers  failing  them.  Students,  in  doctrinal 
difficulties,  may  often  obtain  aid  by  lifting  up  this  cry  of 
"  Help,  Lord,"  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  great  Teacher.  Spirit- 
ual warriors  in  imvard  conflicts  may  send  to  the  throne  for 
reenforcements,  and  this  will  be  a  model  for  their  request. 
Workers  in  heavenly  labor  may  thus  obtain  grace  in  time  of 
need.  Seeking  sinners  in  doubts  and  alarms  may  oifer  up 
the  same  weighty  supplications ;  in  fact,  in  all  cases,  times, 
and  places,  this  will  serve  the  turn  of  needy  souls.  "Help, 
Lord,"  will  suit  us  living  and  dying,  suffering  or  laboring, 
rejoicing  or  sorrowing.  In  Him  our  help  is  found ;  let  us 
not  be  slack  to  cry  to  Him. 

The  answer  to  the  prayer  is  certain,  if  it  be  sincerely  of- 
fered through  Jesus.  The  Lord's  character  assures  us  that 
He  will  not  leave  His  people ;  His  relationship  as  Fatlier  and 
Husband  guarantees  us  His  aid  ;  His  gift  of  Jesus  is  a  pledge 
of  every  good  thing  ;  and  His  sure  promise  stands,  Fear  not, 

I  WILL  HELP  TH££. 

U 


176  feAtL*  HEADINGS,  June  li. 


"  Thy  Redeemer."  —  Isaiah  liv.  5. 


^SUS,  the  Redeemer,  is  altogether  ours,  aud  ours  for- 
H  ever.  All  the  offices  of  Christ  are  held  on  our  behalf. 
He  is  king  for  us,  priest  for  us,  and  prophet  for  us. 
Whenever  we  read  a  new  title  of  the  Redeemer,  let  us  ap- 
propriate Him  as  ours  under  that  name  as  much  as  undei 
any  other.  The  shepherd's  staff,  the  father's  rod,  the  cap- 
tain's sword,  the  priest's  mitre,  the  prince's  sceptre,  the 
prophet's  mantle,  all  are  ours.  Jesus  hath  no  dignity  which 
he  will  not  employ  for  our  exaltation,  and  no  prerogative 
which  he  will  not  exercise  for  our  defence.  His  fulness  of 
Godhead  is  our  unfailing,  inexhaustible  treasure-house. 

His  manhood  also,  which  He  took  upon  Him  for  us,  is  ours 
in  all  its  perfection.  To  us  our  gracious  Lord  communicates 
the  spotless  virtue  of  a  stainless  character ;  to  us  He  gives 
the  meritorious  efficacy  of  a  devoted  life ;  on  us  He  bestows 
the  reward  procured  by  obedient  submission  and  incessant 
service.  He  makes  the  unsullied  garment  of  His  life  our 
covering  beauty  ;  the  glittering  virtues  of  His  character  our 
ornaments  and  jewels ;  and  the  superhuman  meekness  of 
His  death  our  boast  and  glory.  He  bequeaths  us  His 
manger,  from  which  to  learn  how  God  came  down  to  man ; 
and  His  Cross  to  teach  us  how  man  may  go  up  to  God.  All 
His  thoughts,  emotions,  actions,  utterances,  miracles,  and 
intercessions,  were  for  us.  He  trod  the  road  of  sorrow  on 
our  behalf,  and  hath  made  over  to  us  as  His  heavenly  legacy 
the  full  results  of  all  the  labors  of  His  life.  He  is  now  as  much 
ours  as  heretofore ;  and  He  blushes  not  to  acknowledge 
Himself  "  oihr  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  though  He  is  tne  blessed 
and  only  Potentate,  the  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords, 
Christ  everywhere  and  every  way  is  our  Christ,  forever  and 
ever  most  richly  to  enjoy.  0  my  soul,  by  the  power  of  the 
Eolj  Spirit  call  Him  this  morning,  "  thy  Redeemer." 


June  19.  DAILY   KtADlNGS.  17 

"And  theij  were  alljilled  with  the  Holy  Ohost."  —  Acts  ii.  4. 


P%f\  ICII  were  the  blessings  of  this  day  if  all  of  us  were 
0|V5^  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  consequences  of 
**^^^  this  sacred  filling  of  the  soul  it  would  be  impossible 
to  over-estimate.  Life,  comfort,  light,  purity,  power,  peace, 
and  many  other  precious  blessings  are  inseparable  from  the 
Spirit's  benign  presence.  As  sacred  oil.  He  anoints  the 
head  of  the  believer,  sets  him  apart  to  the  priesthood  of 
saints,  and  gives  him  grace  to  execute  his  office  ariglit.  Aa 
^he  only  truly  purifying  water,  He  cleanses  us  from  the  power 
of  sin,  and  sanctifies  us  unto  holiness,  working  in  us  to  will 
and  to  do  of  the  Lord's  good  pleasure.  As  the  light,  He 
manifested  to  us  at  first  our  lost  estate,  and  now  He  reveals 
the  Lord  Jesus  to  us  and  in  us,  and  guides  us  in  the  way  of 
righteousness.  Enlightened  by  His  pure  celestial  ray,  we 
are  no  more  darkness,  but  light  in  the  Lord.  As  fire,  he 
both  purges  us  from  dross,  and  sets  our  consecrated  nature 
on  a  blaze.  He  is  the  sacrificial  flame  by  which  we  are  enabled 
to  ofi'er  our  whole  souls  as  a  living  sacrifice  unto  God.  As 
heavenly  deiv.  He  removes  our  barrenness  and  fertilizes  our 
lives.  0  that  He  would  drop  from  above  upon  us  at  this 
early  hour.  Such  morning  dew  would  be  a  sweet  commence- 
ment for  the  day.  As  the  dove,  with  wings  of  peaceful  love. 
Be  broods  over  His  Church  and  over  the  souls  of  believers, 
and  as  a  Comforter,  He  dispels  the  cares  and  doubts  which 
mar  the  peace  of  His  beloved.  He  descends  upon  the  chosen 
as  upon  the  Lord  in  Jordan,  and  bears  witness  to  their  son- 
fihip  b}'  working  in  them  a  filial  spirit,  by  which  they  cry,  Abba, 
Father.  As  the  wind.  He  brings  the  breath  of  life  to  meu  ; 
blowing  where  He  listcth  He  performs  the  quickening  opera- 
tions by  which  the  spiritual  creation  is  animated  and  sus- 
tained. Would  to  God  that  we  might  feel  His  presence 
this  day  and  every  day. 


172  DAILY  READINGS.  June  20. 


"  For,  lo,  I  will  command,  and  I  will  sift  the  Jiouse  of  Israel 
among  all  nations,  like  as  corn  is  sifted  in  a  sieve,  yet  shall 
not  the  least  grain  fall  upon  the  earth." — Amos  ix.  9. 

§'^'^^'^VERY  sifting  coines  by  divine  command  and  permis- 
l^J^  sioH.  Satan  must  ask  leave  before  he  can  lay  a  fingei" 
*^^  upon  Job.  Nay,  more,  in  some  sense  our  siftings  are 
directly  the  work  of  Heaven,  for  the  text  says,  "  I  will  sift  the 
house  of  Israel."  Satan,  like  a  drudge,  may  hold  the  sieve, 
hoping  to  destroy  the  corn  ;  but  the  overruling  hand  of  the 
Master  is  accompHshing  the  purity  of  the  grain  by  the  very 
process  which  the  enemy  intended  to  be  destructive.  Pre- 
cious, but  much  sifted  corn  of  the  Lord's  floor,  be  comforted 
by  the  blessed  fact  that  the  Lord  directeth  both  flail  and 
sieve  to  His  own  glory,  and  to  thine  eternal  profit. 

The  Lord  Jesus  will  surely  use  the  fan  which  is  in  His 
hand,  and  will  divide  the  precious  from  the  vile.  All  are  not 
Israel  that  are  of  Israel ;  the  heap  on  the  barn  floor  is  not 
clean  provender,  and  hence  the  winnowing  process  must  be 
performed.  In  the  sieve  true  weight  alone  has  power. 
Husks  and  chafi",  being  devoid  of  substance,  must  fly  before 
the  wind,  and  only  solid  corn  will  remain. 

Observe  the  complete  safety  of  the  Lord's  wheat ;  even  the 
least  grain  has  a  promise  of  preservation.  God  Himself  sifts, 
and  therefore  it  is  stern  and  terrible  work ;  He  sifts  them 
in  all  places,  "  among  all  nations ; "  He  sifts  them  in  the 
most  effectual  manner,  "  like  as  corn  is  sifted  in  a  sieve  ;  " 
and  yet  for  all  this,  not  the  smallest,  lightest,  or  most  shriv- 
elled grain  is  permitted  to  fall  to  the  ground.  Every  indi- 
vidual believer  is  precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  ;  a  shep- 
herd would  not  lose  one  sheep,  nor  a  jeweller  one  diamond, 
uoi  a  mother  one  child,  nor  a  man  one  limb  of  his  body,  nor 
will  the  Lord  lose  one  of  his  redeemed  people.  However 
little  wo  may  be,  if  we  are  the  Lord's,  we  may  rejoice  that 
we  are  preserved  in  Christ  Jeuus. 


June  2l.  Daily  reaDInos.  *         173 


"  Thou  art  fairer  than  the  children  of  men"  —  Psalm  xlv.  2. 

^l^^jIIE  entire  person  of  Jesus  is  but  as  one  gem,  and  His 
^ll^ij^  life  is  all  along  but  one  impression  of  the  seal.  He 
^^^^^  is  altogether  complete  ;  not  only  in  His  several  parts, 
but  as  a  gracious,  all-glorious  whole.  His  character  is  not  a 
mass  of  fair  colors  mixed  confusedly,  nor  a  heap  of  precious 
stones  laid  carelessly  one  upon  another  ;  He  is  a  picture  of 
beauty  and  a  breastplate  of  glory.  In  Him  all  the  "  things 
of  good  repute"  are  in  their  proper  places,  and  assist  in 
adorning  each  other.  Not  one  feature  in  His  glorious  per- 
son attracts  attention  at  the  expense  of  others  ;  but  He  ia 
perfectly  and  altogether  lovely.  Oh,  Jesus  !  Thy  power, 
Thy  grace,  Thy  justice,  Thy  tenderness.  Thy  truth,  Thy  ma- 
jesty, and  Thine  immutability,  make  up  such  a  man,  or  rather 
such  a  God-man,  as  neither  heaven  nor  earth  hath  seen  else- 
where. Thy  infjincy.  Thy  eternity.  Thy  sufferings.  Thy  tri- 
umphs, Thy  death,  and  Thine  immortality,  are  all  woven  in 
one  gorgeous  tapestry,  without  seam  or  rent.  Thou  art 
music  without  discord  ;  Thou  art  many,  and  yet  not  divided  ; 
Thou  art  all  things,  and  yet  not  diverse.  As  all  the  colors 
blend  into  one  resplendent  rainbow,  so  all  the  glories  of 
heaven  and  earth  meet  in  Thee,  and  unite  so  wondrously,  that 
there  is  none  like  Thee  in  all  things  ;  nay,  if  all  the  virtues  of 
the  most  excellent  were  bound  in  one  bundle,  they  could  not 
rival  Thee,  Thou  mirror  of  all  perfection.  Thou  hast  been 
anointed  with  the  holy  oil  of  myrrh  and  cassia,  which  Thy  God 
hath  reserved  for  Thee  alone  ;  and  as  for  Thy  fragrance,  it  is 
as  the  holy  perfume,  the  like  of  which  none  other  can  ever 
mingle,  even  with  the  art  of  the  apothecary  ;  each  spice  is 
fragrant,  but  the  compound  is  divine. 

"  0  sacred  symmetry  !  0  rare  connection 
Of  many  perfects,  to  make  one  perfection! 
0  heavenly  music,  where  all  parts  do  meet 
In  one  sweet  strain,  to  make  one  perfect  sweet !  ** 

15* 


it4  DAILY  READINGS.  June  2^, 

"  He  shall  build  the  temple  of  the  Lord ;  and  Jle  shall  hear  tht 
glory."  —  Zechariah  vi.   13. 

S).^^(^,HPtIST  Himself  is  the  builder  of  His  spiritual  temple, 
yL  ^Bj^  and  He  has  built  it  on  the  mountains  of  His  un- 
'^^-^-^  changeable  affection,  His  omnipotent  grace,  and  His 
infallible  truthfulness.  But  as  it  was  in  Solomon's  lemple, 
so  in  this  ;  the  materials  need  making  ready.  There  are  the 
"  cedars  of  Lebanon,"  but  they  are  not  framed  for  the  build- 
ing ;  they  are  not  cut  down,  and  shaped,  and  made  into  those 
planks  of  cedar,  whose  odoriferous  beauty  shall  make  glad 
the  courts  of  the  Lord's  house  in  Paradise.  There  are  also 
the  rough  stones  still  in  the  quarry;  they  must  be  hewn  thence, 
and  squared.  All  this  is  Christ's  own  work.  Each  individ- 
ual believer  is  being  prepared,  and  polished,  and  made  ready 
for  his  place  in  the  temple ;  but  Christ's  own  hand  performs 
the  preparation-work.  Afflictions  cannot  sanctify,  excepting 
as  they  are  used  by  Him  to  this  end.  Our  prayers  and  ef- 
forts cannot  make  us  ready  for  heaven,  apart  from  the  hand 
of  Jesus,  who  fashioneth  our  hearts  aright.  As  in  the  build- 
ing of  Solomon's  temple  "  there  was  neither  hammer,  nor 
axe,  nor  any  tool  of  iron,  heard  in  the  house,"  because  all 
was  brought  perfectly  ready  for  the  exact  spot  it  was  to 
occupy,  so  is  it  with  the  temple  which  Jesus  builds  —  the 
making  ready  is  all  done  on  earth.  When  we  reach  heaven, 
there  will  be  no  sanctifying  us  there,  no  squaring  us  with 
affliction,  no  planing  us  with  suffering.  No,  we  must  be 
made  meet  here  —  all  that  Christ  will  do  beforehand ;  and 
when  He  has  done  it,  we  shall  be  ferried  by  a  loving  hand 
across  the  stream  of  death,  and  brought  to  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  to  abide  as  eternal  pillars  in  the  temple  of  ouj 
lord. 

"Beneath  His  eye  and  care, 
The  edifice  shall  rise, 
Majestic,  strong,  and  fair, 
And  shine  above  the  skie*.** 


Juifie  S^.  i)Aii.v  UKAhiNGs.  17A 


"  Ephraim  is  a  cake  not  turned^  —  Hosea  vii.  8. 

r?i  CAKE  not  turned  is  uncoolccd  on  one  side ;  and  so 
I [^  Ephraim  was,  in  many  respects,  untouched  by  divine 
'^  grace  ;  though  there  was  some  partial  obedience, 
there  was  very  much  rebellion  left.  My  soul,  I  charge  thee, 
gee  whether  this  be  thy  case.  Art  thou  thorough  in  the  things 
of  God  ?  Has  grace  gone  tbi-ough  the  very  centre  of  thy 
being,  so  as  to  bo  felt  in  its  divine  operations  in  all  thy  pow- 
ers, thy  actions,  thy  words,  and  thy  thoughts  ?  To  be  sanc- 
tified, spirit,  soul,  and  body,  should  be  thine  aim  and  prayer ; 
and  although  sanctification  may  not  be  perfect  in  thee  any- 
where in  degree,  yet  it  n)ust  be  universal  in  its  action  ;  there 
must  not  be  the  appearance  of  holiness  in  one  place  and  reign- 
ing sin  in  another,  else  thou,  too,  wilt  be  a  cake  not  turned. 

A  cake  not  turned  is  soon  hurncd  on  the  side  nearest  the  fire ; 
and  although  no  man  can  have  too  much  religion,  there  are 
some  who  seem  burned  black  with  bigoted  zeal  for  that  part  of 
truth  which  they  have  received,  or  are  charred  to  a  cinder 
with  a  vain-glorious  Pharisaic  ostentation  of  those  religious 
performances  which  suit  their  humor.  The  assumed  appear- 
ance of  superior  sanctity  frequently  accompanies  a  total  ab- 
sence of  all  vital  godliness.  The  saint  in  public  is  a  devil  in 
private.  He  deals  in  flour  by  day  and  in  soot  by  night.  The 
oake  which  is  bu-rned  on  one  side,  is  dough  on  the  other. 

If  it  be  so  with  wie,  0  Lord,  turn  me  !  Turn  my  unsancti- 
fied  nature  to  the  fire  of  Thy  love,  and  let  it  feel  the  sacred 
glow ;  and  let  my  burned  side  cool  a  little,  while  I  learn  my 
own  weakness  and  want  of  heat  when  I  am  removed  from  Thy 
heavenly  flame.  Let  me  not  be  found  a  double-minded  man, 
but  one  entirely  under  the  powerful  influence  of  reigninii 
grace  ;  for  well  I  know  if  I  am  left  like  a  cake  unturned,  and 
am  not  on  both  sides  the  subject  of  Thy  grace,  I  must  b« 
consumed  forever  amid  everlasting  burnings 


176  i)AiLY  EEAXtiNGs.  «tuue  24. 

'*  A  certain  woman  of  the  company  lifted  up  her  voice,  and  said 
unto  Him,  Blessed  is  the  womb  that  bare  thee,  and  the  paps 
which  Thou  hast  sucked.     But   He   said,  Yea  rather,  blessed 
are  they  that  hear  the  word  of  God,  and  keep  it." 
Luke  xi.  27,  28. 

[■jfrT  is  fondly  imagined  by  some  that  it  must  have  in- 
:k;^  volved  very  special  privileges  to  have  been  the  moth- 
er of  our  Lord,  because  they  suppose  that  she  had  the 
benefit  of  looking  into  His  very  heart  in  a  way  in  which  we 
cannot  hope  to  do.  There  may  be  an  appearance  of  plausi- 
bility in  the  supposition,  but  not  much.  We  do  not  know 
that  Mary  knew  more  than  others ;  what  she  did  know  she 
did  well  to  lay  up  in  her  heart ;  but  she  does  not  appear  from 
anything  we  read  in  the  Evangelists  to  have  been  a  better- 
instructed  believer  than  any  other  of  Christ's  disciples.  All 
that  she  knew,  we  also  may  discover.  Do  you  wonder  that 
we  should  say  so  ?  Here  is  a  text  to  prove  it :  "  The  secret 
of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  Him,  and  He  will  show 
them  His  covenant."  Remember  the  Master's  words  — 
"  Henceforth  I  call  you  not  servants  ;  for  the  servant  know- 
eth  not  what  His  Lord  doeth  :  but  I  have  called  you  friends  ; 
for  all  things  that  I  have  heard  of  my  Father  I  have  made 
known  unto  you."  So  blessedly  does  this  Divine  Revealer 
of  secrets  tell  us  His  heart,  that  He  keepeth  back  nothing 
which  is  profitable  to  us.  His  own  assurance  is,  "  If  it  weic 
not  so  I  would  have  told  you."  Doth  He  not  this  day  man- 
ifest Himself  unto  us  as  He  doth  not  unto  the  world  ?  It  is 
even  so ;  and  therefore  we  will  not  ignorantly  cry  out, 
"  Blessed  is  the  womb  that  bare  Thee,"  but  we  will  intelli- 
gently bless  God  that,  having  heard  the  Word  and  kept  it, 
we  have  first  of  all  as  true  a  communion  with  the  Saviour  as 
the  Virgin  had  ;  and  in  the  second  place,  as  true  an  ac- 
quaintance with  the  secrets  of  His  heart  as  she  can  be  sup- 
posed <o  have  obtained.     Happy  soul  to  be  thus  privileged  1 


June  25.  daily  readings.  177 


"  Oct  thee  up  into  the  high  mountain" —  Isaiah  xl.  9. 


WipitSUR  knowledge  of  Christ  is  somewhat  like  climbing 
Hf  ^■5)  one  of  our  Welsh  mountains.  When  you  are  at  tlie 
^^'^^^  base  you  see  but  little  :  the  mountain  itself  appears 
to  be  but  one  half  as  high  as  it  really  is.  Confined  in  a  little 
Talley,  you  discover  scarcely  anything  but  the  rippling  brooks 
as  they  descend  into  the  stream  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain. 
Climb  the  first  rising  knoll,  and  the  valley  luigthens  and 
widens  beneath  your  feet.  Go  higher,  and  you  see  the  coun- 
try for  four  or  five  miles  round,  and  you  are  delighted  with 
the  widening  prospect.  Mount  still,  and  the  scene  enlarges  ; 
till  dt  last,  when  you  are  on  the  summit,  and  look  east,  west, 
north,  and  south,  you  see  almost  all  England  lying  before 
you.  Yonder  is  a  forest  in  some  distant  county,  perhaps 
two  hundred  miles  away,  and  here  the  sea,  and  there  a  shin- 
ing river  and  the  smoking  chimneys  of  a  manufacturing  town, 
or  the  masts  of  the  ships  in  a  busy  port.  All  these  things 
please  and  delight  you,  and  you  say,  "  I  could  not  have  ima- 
gined that  so  much  could  be  seen  at  this  elevation."  Now, 
the  Christian  life  is  of  the  same  order.  When  we  first  believe 
in  Christ  we  see  but  little  of  Him.  The  higher  we  climb  the 
more  we  discover  of  His  beauties.  But  who  has  ever  gained 
the  summit  ?  Who  has  known  all  the  heights  and  depths 
of  the  love  of  Christ  which  passes  knowledge  ?  Paul,  when 
grown  old,  sitting  gray-haired,  shivering  in  a  dungeon  in 
Home,  could  say  with  greater  emphasis  than  we  can,  "  I 
know  whom  I  have  believed,"  for  each  experience  had  been 
like  the  climbing  of  a  hill,  each  trial  had  been  like  ascending 
another  summit,  and  his  death  seemed  like  gaining  the  top 
Qf  the  mountain,  from  which  he  could  see  the  whole  of  the 
faithfulness  and  the  love  of  Him  to  whom  he  had  committed 
his  soul.  Get  thee  up,  dear  friend,  into  the  high  moun- 
tain. 


l?8  DAttY  RliADiNGS.  June  ^6 

"  Art  thou  become  like  unto  us9"  —  Isaiah  xiv.  10. 

il^^HAT  must  be  the  apostate  professor's  doom  when  his 
&/i  ^^^^^  ^^"^  appears  before  God  ?  How  will  he  bear 
^^^  that  voice,  "  Depart,  ye  cursed ;  thou  hast  rejected 
Me,  aud  I  reject  thee;  thou  hast  played  the  harlot,  and  de- 
parted from  Me  :  I  also  have  banished  thee  forever  from  My 
presence,  and  will  not  have  mercy  upon  thee  "  ?  What  will 
be  this  wretch's  shame  at  the  last  great  day,  when,  before  as- 
sembled multitudes,  the  apostate  shall  be  unmasked  ?  See 
the  profane,  and  sinners  who  never  professed  religion,  lifting 
themselves  up  from  their  beds  of  fire  to  point  at  him. 
"  There  he  is,"  says  one ;  "  will  he  preach  the  gospel  in 
hell?"  "There  he  is,"  says  another;  "he  rebuked  mc  for 
cursing,  and  was  a  hypocrite  himself!"  "Aha!"  says 
another  ;  "  here  comes  a  psalm-singing  professor  —  one 
who  was  always  at  his  meeting ;  he  is  the  man  who  boasted 
of  his  being  sure  of  everlasting  life  ;  and  here  he  is  !  "  No 
greater  eagerness  will  ever  be  seen  among  Satanic  tormentors 
than  in  that  day  when  devils  drag  the  hypocrite's  soul  down 
to  perdition.  Bunyan  pictures  this  with  massive  but  awful 
grandeur  of  poetry  when  he  speaks  of  the  back-way  to  hell. 
Seven  devils  bound  the  wretch  with  nine  cords,  and  dragged 
him  from  the  road  to  heaven,  in  which  he  had  professed  to 
walk,  and  thrust  him  through  the  back-door  into  hell.  Mind 
that  back-way  to  hell,  professors !  "  Examine  yourselves 
whether  ye  be  in  the  faith."  Look  well  to  your  state ;  sco 
whether  you  be  in  Christ  or  not.  It  is  the  easiest  thing  in 
the  world  to  give  a  lenient  verdict  when  one's  self  is  to  be 
tried ;  but  0,  be  just  and  true  here.  Be  just  to  all,  but 
be  rigorous  to  yourself.  Remember,  if  it  be  not  a  rock  on 
which  you  build,  when  the  house  shall  fall,  great  will  be  the 
fall  of  It.  0,  may  the  Lord  give  you  sincerity,  constancy, 
and  firmness ;  and  in  no  day,  however  evil,  may  you  be  led 
Ko  turn  aside. 


June  27.  daily  readings.  179 


••  Only  ye  shall  not  go  very  far  away."  —  Ex.  viii.  28. 

^T^'jinS  is  a  crtihy  word  from  the  lip  of  the  arcb-tyrant 
Mjl^)^  Pharaoh.   If  the  poor  bondaged  Israelites  mu.'it  needs 
^^***^  go  out  of  Egypt,  then  he  bargains  with  thein  that  it 
shall  not  be  very  far  away ;  not  too  far,  for  them  to  escape 
the  terror  of  his  arms  and  the  observation  of  his  spies. 
After  the  same  fashion,  the  world  loves  not  the  nonconformity 
of  nonconformity,  or  the  dissidence  of  dissent ;  it  would  have 
us  be  more  charitable,  and  not  carry  matters  with  too  severe 
a  hand.     Death  to  the  world,  and  burial  with  Christ,  are  ex- 
periences which  carnal  minds  treat  with  ridicule,  and  hence 
the  ordinance  which  sets  them  forth  is  almost  universally 
neglected,  and  even  contemned.     Worldly  wisdom  recom- 
mends the  path  of  compromise,  and  talks  of  "  moderation." 
According  to  this  carnal  policy,  purity  is  admitted  to  be  very 
desirable,  but  we  arc  warned  against  being  too  precise  ;  truth 
is  of  course  to  be  followed,  but  error  is  not  to  be  severely 
denounced.    "  Yes,"  says  the  world,  "  be  spiritually  minded 
by  all  means,  but  do  not  deny  yourself  a  little  gay  society, 
an   occasional  ball,  and  a  Christmas  visit  to  the  theatre. 
What's  the  good  of  crying  down  a  thing  when  it  is  so  fash- 
ionable, and  everybody  does  it  r "     Multitudes  of  professors 
yield  to  this  cunning  advice  to  their  own  eternal  ruin.     If 
we  would  follow  the  Lord  wholly,  we  must  go  right  away 
into  the  wilderness  of  separation,  and  leave  the  Egypt  of 
the  carnal  world  behind  us.     We  must  leave  its  maxims, 
pleasures,  and  its  religion  too,  and  go  far  away  to  the  place 
where  the  Lord  calls  His  sanctified  ones.     When  the  town 
is  on  fire,  our  house  cannot  be  too  far  froni   the  flames. 
When  the  plague  is  abroad,  a  man  cannot  be  too  far  from 
its  haunts.     The  farther  from  a  viper  the  better,  and  the 
farthei  from  worldly  conformity  the  better.     To  all  true  be- 
lievers, let  the  trumpet-call  be  sounded,  "  Come  ye  out  from 
among  them  ;  be  ye  separate." 


180  t)AiLY  READINGS.  June  28. 

"  Looking  unto  Jesus."  —  Heb.  xii.  2. 


^2T[J?nT  is  ever  the  Holy  Spirit's  work  to  turn  our  eyes  awaj 
^1  ^^  from  self  to  Jesus ;  but  Satan's  work  is  just  the  op- 
y/^^W.  posite  of  this,  for  he  is  constantly  trying  to  make  us 
regard  ourselves  instead  of  Christ.  He  insinuates,  "  Your 
eins  are  too  great  for  pardon ;  you  have  no  faith ;  you  do 
not  repent  enough ;  you  will  never  be  able  to  continue  to 
the  end ;  you  have  not  the  joy  of  His  children ;  you  have 
such  a  wavering  hold  of  Jesus."  All  these  are  thoughts 
about  self,  and  we  shall  never  find  comfort  or  assurance  by 
looking  within.  But  the  Holy  Spirit  turns  our  eyes  entirely 
away  from  self:  He  tells  us  that  we  are  nothing,  but  that 
"  Christ  is  all  in  all."  Remember,  therefore,  it  is  not  thy 
hold  of  Christ  that  saves  thee  —  it  is  Christ ;  it  is  not  thy  joy 
in  Christ  that  saves  thee  —  it  is  Christ ;  it  is  not  even  faith 
in  Christ,  though  that  be  the  instrument  —  it  is  Christ's 
blood  and  merits ;  therefore,  look  not  so  much  to  thy  hand 
with  which  thou  art  grasping  Christ,  as  to  Christ ;  look  not 
to  thy  hope,  but  to  Jesus,  the  source  of  thy  hope ;  look 
not  to  thy  faith,  but  to  Jesus,  the  author  and  finisher  of  thy 
faith.  We  shall  never  find  happiness  by  looking  at  our 
prayers,  our  doings,  or  our  feelings ;  it  is  what  Jesus  is,  not 
what  we  are,  that  gives  rest  to  the  soul.  If  we  would  at 
once  overcome  Satan  and  have  peace  with  God,  it  must  be 
by  "  looking  unto  Jesus."  Keep  thine  eye  simply  on  Him ; 
let  His  death,  His  sufi'erings.  His  merits.  His  glories,  His 
intercession,  be  fresh  upon  thy  mind ;  when  thou  wakest  in 
the  morning  look  to  Him ;  when  thou  liest  down  at  night 
look  to  Him.  Oh  !  let  not  thy  hopes  or  fears  come  between 
thee  and  Jesus ;  follow  hard  after  Him,  and  He  viU  never 
fail  thee. 

"My  hope  is  built  on  nothing  less 
Than  Jesus'  blood  and  righteousness: 
1  dare  not  trust  the  sweetest  frame, 
But  wholly  lean  on  Jesui'  name." 


June  29.  daily  readings.  181 

•*  Them  also  which  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  Him." 
'l  Thess.  iv.  14. 

)T  us  not  imagine  that  the  soul  sleeps  in  insensibility. 
"  To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise,"  is  the 
whisper  of  Christ  to  every  dying  saint.  They  "  sleep 
in  Jesus,"  but  their  souls  are  before  the  throne  of  God, 
praising  Ilim  day  and  night  in  His  temple,  singing  hallelu- 
jahs to  Him  who  washed  them  from  their  sins  in  His  blood. 
The  body  sleeps  in  its  lonely  bed  of  earth,  beneath  the  cover- 
let of  grass.  But  what  is  this  sleep  ?  The  idea  connected 
with  sleep  is  "  rest,''  and  that  is  the  thought  which  the  Spirit 
of  God  would  convey  to  us.  Sleep  makes  each  night  a  Sab- 
bath for  the  day.  Sleep  shuts  fast  the  door  of  the  soul,  and 
bids  all  intruders  tarry  for  a  while,  that  the  life  within  may 
enter  its  summer  garden  of  ease.  The  toil-worn  believer 
quietly  sleeps,  as  does  the  weary  child  when  it  slumbers  on 
its  mother's  breast.  Oh  1  happy  they  who  die  in  the  Lord  ; 
they  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow  them. 
Their  quiet  repose  shall  never  be  broken  until  God  shall 
rouse  them  to  give  them  their  full  reward.  Guarded  by 
angel  watchers,  curtained  by  eternal  mysteries,  they  sleep 
on,  the  heritors  of  glory,  till  the  fulness  of  time  shall  bring 
the  fulness  of  redemption.  What  an  awaking  shall  be  theirs  ! 
They  were  laid  in  their  last  res*.ing-place,  weary  and  worn, 
but  such  they  shall  not  rise.  They  went  to  their  rest  w.'th 
the  furrowed  brow,  and  the  wasted  features,  but  they  wakf 
up  in  beauty  and  glory.  The  shrivelled  seed,  so  destitute 
of  form  and  comeliness,  rises  from  the  dust  a  beauteous 
flower.  The  winter  of  the  grave  gives  K^y  to  the  spring  of 
redemption  and  the  summer  of  glory.  Blessed  is  death, 
■ince  it,  through  the  divine  power,  disrobes  us  of  this  work- 
day garment,  to  clothe  us  with  the  wedding  giruient  of  in 
corruption.  Blessed  are  those  who  "  sleep  in  Jf>8>ia," 
16 


182  DAILY  READINGS.  Juae  30 

"And  the  glory  which  Thou  gavest  Me  I  have  given  them." 
John  xvii.  22. 

^jH^-EHOLD  tlie  superlative  liberality  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
li  for  He  hath  given  us  His  all.  Although  a  tithe  of  His 
possessions  would  have  made  a  universe  of  angels 
ricli  beyond  all  thought,  yet  was  He  not  content  until  He  had 
given  us  all  that  He  had.  It  would  have  been  surprising  grace 
if  He  had  allowed  us  to  eat  the  crumbs  of  His  bounty  be- 
neath the  table  of  His  mercy ;  but  He  will  do  nothing  by 
halves ;  He  makes  us  sit  with  Him  and  share  the  feast.  Had 
He  given  us  some  small  pension  from  His  royal  coffers,  we 
should  have  had  cause  to  love  Him  eternally  ;  but  no,  He 
will  tave  His  bride  as  rich  as  Himself,  and  He  will  not 
have  a  glory  or  a  grace  in  which  she  shall  not  share.  He 
has  not  been  content  with  less  than  making  us  joint-heira 
with  Himself,  so  that  we  might  have  equal  possessions. 
He  has  emptied  all  His  estate  into  the  coffers  of  the 
Church,  and  hath  all  things  common  with  His  redeemed. 
There  is  not  one  room  in  His  house  the  key  of  which  He 
will  withhold  from  His  people.  He  gives  them  full  liberty 
to  take  all  that  He  hath  to  be  their  own ;  He  loves  them  to 
make  free  with  His  treasure,  and  appropriate  as  much  as 
they  can  possibly  carry.  The  boundless  fulness  of  His  all- 
sufficiency  is  as  free  to  the  believer  as  the  air  he  breathes. 
Christ  hath  put  the  flagon  of  His  love  and  grace  to  the  be- 
liever's lip,  and  bidden  him  drink  on  forever  ;  for  could  he 
drain  it,  he  is  welcome  to  do  so,  and  as  he  cannot  exhaust  it, 
fie  is  bidden  to  drink  abundantly,  for  it  is  all  his  own.  What 
truer  proof  of  fellowship  can  heaven  or  earth  afiFord  ? 

"When  I  stand  before  the  throne, 
Dressed  in  beauty  not  my  own  ; 
When  I  see  Thee  as  Thou  art, 
Love  Thee  with  unsinning  heart ; 
Then,  Lord,  shall  I  fully  kn'»w  — 
Not  till  then  —  bow  much  I  ow*." 


lulv  I.  DAILY    READINGS.  183 


"In  summer  and  in  winter  shall  it  be."  —  ?ech.  xiv.  8. 


■JHE  streams  of  living  water  which  flow  from  Jerusa- 
It  lem  are  not  dried  up  by  the  parching  heats  of  sultry 
midsummer,  any  more  than  they  were  fro2en  by  the 
cold  winds  of  blustering  winter.  Rejoice,  0  my  soul,  that 
thou  art  spared  to  testify  of  the  faithfulness  of  the  Lord.  The 
seasons  change  and  thou  changest,  but  thy  Lord  abides  ever- 
more the  same,  and  the  streams  of  His  love  are  as  deep,  as 
broad,  and  as  full  as  ever.  The  heats  of  business  cares  and 
scorching  trials  make  me  need  the  cooling  influences  of  the 
river  of  his  grace ;  I  may  go  at  once  and  drink  to  the  full 
from  the  inexhaustible  fountain,  for  in  summer  and  in  winter 
it  pours  forth  its  flood.  The  upper  springs  are  never  scanty, 
and  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord,  the  nether  springs 
cannot  fail  either.  Elijah  found  Cherith  dry  up,  but  Jeho- 
vah was  still  the  same  God  of  providence.  Job  said  his 
brethren  were  like  deceitful  brooks ;  but  he  found  his  God 
an  overflowing  river  of  consolation.  The  Nile  is  the  great 
confidence  of  Egypt,  but  its  floods  are  variable  ;  our  Lord  is 
evermore  the  same.  By  turning  the  course  of  the  Euphrates, 
Cyrus  took  the  city  of  Babylon  ;  but  no  power,  human  or 
infernal,  can  divert  the  current  of  divitte  grace.  The  tracks 
of  ancient  rivers  have  been  found  all  dry  and  desolate  ;  but 
the  streams  which  take  their  rise  on  the  mountains  of  divine 
sovereignty  and  infinite  love  shall  ever  be  full  to  the  brim. 
Generations  melt  away,  but  the  course  of  grace  is  unaltered. 
The  river  of  God  may  sing  with  greater  truth  than  the  brook 
in  the  poem  — 

"Men  may  come,  and  men  may  go, 
But  I  go  on  forever." 

How  happy  art  thou,  my  soul,  to  be  led  beside  such  still 
waters  !  Never  wander  to  other  streams,  lest  thou  hear  the 
Lord's  rebuke,  "  What  hast  thou  to  do  in  the  way  of  EgypI 
to  drink  of  the  muddy  river  ?  " 


184  DAILY   READINGS.  July  2. 

"  Our  heart  shall  rejoice  in  Him." —  Psalm  xxxiii.  21. 

*^6LESSED  is  the  fact  that  Christians  can  rejoice,  even 
^l  in  the  deepest  distress ;  although  trouble  may  sur- 
round them,  they  still  sing ;  and,  like  many  birds, 
they  sing  best  in  their  cages.  The  waves  may  roll  ovei 
them,  but  their  souls  soon  rise  to  the  surface,  and  see  the 
light  of  God's  countenance  ;  they  have  a  buoyancy  about 
them  which  keeps  their  head  always  above  the  water,  and 
helps  them  to  sing  amid  the  tempest,  "  God  is  with  me  still." 
To  whom  shall  the  glory  be  given  ?  Oh  !  to  Jesus  —  it  is  all 
by  Jesus.  Trouble  does  not  necessarily  bring  consolation 
with  it  to  the  believer,  but  the  presence  of  the  Son  of  God 
in  the  fiery  furnace  with  him,  fills  his  heart  with  joy.  He  is 
sick  and  sufi'ering,  but  Jesus  visits  him  and  makes  his  bed 
for  him.  He  is  dying,  and  the  cold,  chilly  waters  of  Jordan 
are  gathering  about  him  up  to  the  neck,  but  Jesus  puts  His 
arms  around  him,  and  cries,  "  Fear  not,  beloved ;  to  die  is 
to  be  blessed ;  the  waters  of  death  have  their  fountain-head 
in  heaven ;  they  are  not  bitter,  they  are  sweet  as  nectar,  for 
they  flow  from  the  throne  of  God."  As  the  departing  saint 
wades  through  the  stream,  and  the  billows  gather  around 
him,  and  heart  and  flesh  fail  him,  the  same  voice  sounds  in 
his  ears,  "  Fear  not ;  I  am  with  thee  :  be  not  dismayed ;  I 
am  thy  God."  As  be  nears  the  borders  of  the  infinite  un- 
known, and  is  almost  afl'righted  to  enter  the  realm  of  shades, 
Jesus  says,  "  Fear  not ;  it  is  your  Father's  good  pleasure  to 
give  you  the  kingdom."  Thus  strengthened  and  consoled, 
the  believer  is  not  afraid  to  die  ;  nay,  he  is  even  willing  to 
depart,  for  since  he  has  seen  Jesus  as  the  morning  star,  he 
longs  to  gaze  upon  Him  as  the  sun  in  his  strength.  Truly, 
the  presence  of  Jesus  is  all  the  heaven  we  desire.  He  ia  at 
once 

"  The  glory  of  our  brightest  days* 
The  comfort  of  our  nights." 


July  3.  I>An,Y    RKADINCS.  185 


••  Tlie  ill-favored  and  Ican-Jleshed  kine  did  eat  up  the  seven  well' 
favored  and  fat  kine."  —  Genesis  xli.  4. 

PHARAOH'S  dream  has  too  often  been  mj  waking 
experience.  My  days  jf  sloth  have  ruinously  de- 
stroyed all  that  I  had  achieved  in  times  of  zealoua 
industry;  my  seasons  of  coldnoss  have  frozen  all  the  genial 
glow  of  my  periods  of  fervency  and  enthusiasm,  and  my  fits 
of  worldliness  have  thrown  me  back  from  my  advances  in  the 
divine  life.  I  had  need  to  beware  of  lean  prayers,  lean 
praises,  lean  duties,  and  lean  experiences,  for  these  will  cat 
up  the  fat  of  my  comfort  and  peace.  If  I  neglect  prayer  for 
never  so  short  a  time,  I  lose  all  the  spirituality  to  which  I 
had  attained;  if  I  draw  no  fresh  supplies  from  heaven,  the 
old  corn  in  my  granary  is  soon  consumed  by  the  famine  which 
rages  in  my  soul.  When  the  caterpillars  of  indifference,  the 
canker-worms  of  worldliness,  and  the  palmer-worms  of  self- 
indulgence,  lay  my  heart  completely  desolate,  and  make  my 
soul  to  languish,  all  my  former  fruitfulness  and  growth  in 
grace  avails  me  nothing  whatever.  How  anxious  should  I 
be  to  have  no  lean-fleshcd  days,  no  ill-favored  hours  !  If 
every  day  I  journeyed  towards  the  goal  of  my  desires  I  should 
soon  reach  it,  but  backsliding  leaves  me  still  far  off  from  the 
prize  of  my  high  calling,  and  robs  me  of  the  advances  which 
I  had  so  laboriously  made.  The  only  way  in  which  all  my 
days  can  be  as  the  "  fat  kine,"  is  to  feed  them  in  the  right 
meadow,  to  spend  them  with  the  Lord,  in  His  service,  iu  Ilia 
company,  in  His  fear,  and  in  Ilis  way.  Why  should  not  every 
year  be  richer  than  the  past,  in  love,  and  usefulness,  and  joy  r 
—  I  am  nearer  the  celestial  hills  ;  I  have  had  more  experience 
of  my  Lord,  and  should  be  more  like  Ilim.  0  Lord,  keep  far 
from  me  the  curse  of  leanness  of  soul ;  let  me  not  have  to  cry, 
"  My  leanness,  my  leanness,  woe  unto  me  !  "  but  may  I  be  well 
fed  and  nourished  in  Tliy  house,  that  I  may  praise  Thy  name. 
16* 


186  DAILY    READINGS.  Julj  4. 


iF-i^ 


"Sanctify  them  through  Tliy  truth."  —  John  xvii.  17. 

ANCTIFICATION  begins  in  regeneration.  The 
Spirit  of  God  infuses  into  man  that  new  living  prin- 
ciple by  which  he  becomes  "  a  new  creature  "  in  Christ 
Jesus.  This  work,  which  begins  in  the  new  birth,  is  carried 
on  in  two  ways  —  mortification,  whereby  the  lusts  of  the  flesh 
are  subdued  and  kept  under ;  and  vivification,  by  which  the 
life  which  God  has  put  within  us  is  made  to  be  a  well  of 
water  springing  up  unto  everlasting  life.  This  is  carried  on 
every  day  in  what  is  called  "  perseverance,''  by  which  the 
Christian  is  preserved  and  continued  in  a  gracious  state,  and 
is  made  to  abound  in  good  works  unto  the  praise  and  glory 
of  God ;  and  it  culminates  or  comes  to  perfection,  in  "  glory," 
when  the  soul,  being  thoroughly  purged,  is  caught  up  to  dwell 
witL  holy  beings  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high. 
But  while  the  Spirit  of  God  is  thus  the  author  of  sanctifica- 
tion,  yet  there  is  a  visible  agency  employed  which  must  not 
be  furgotten.  "  Sanctify  them,"  said  Jesus,  "  through  Thy 
truth.  Thy  word  is  truth."  The  passages  of  Scripture  which 
prove  that  the  instrument  of  our  sanctification  is  the  Word  of 
God  are  very  many.  The  Spirit  of  God  brings  to  our  minds 
the  precepts  and  doctrines  of  truth,  and  applies  them  with 
power.  These  are  heard  in  the  ear,  and  being  received  in 
the  heart,  they  work  in  us  to  will  and  to  do  of  God's  good 
pleasure.  The  truth  is  the  sanctifier,  and  if  we  do  not  hear 
or  read  the  truth,  we  shall  not  grow  in  sanctification.  We 
only  progr'^ss  in  sound  living  as  we  progress  in  sound  under- 
Btanding.  "  Thy  word  is  a  lamp  unto  my  feet  and  a  light 
unto  my  path."  Do  not  say  of  any  error,  "  It  is  a  mere 
matter  of  opinion."  No  man  indulges  an  error  of  judgment, 
without  sooner  or  later  tolerating  an  error  in  practice.  Hold 
fast  the  truth  ;  for  by  so  holding  the  truth  shall  you  be  sanc- 
tified by  the  Spirit  of  God. 


.Tuly  5.  DAILY    HEADINGS.  187 

'*  Called  to  be  saints."  —  Romans  i.  7. 

"K  are  very  apt  to  regard  the  apostolic  saims  as  if  they 
^Ih  were  "  saints "  iu  a  more  especial  manner  than  the 
'^^  other  children  of  God.  All  are  "  saints"  whom  God 
has  called  by  His  grace  and  sanctified  by  His  Spirit ;  but  we 
are  apt  to  look  upon  the  ajjostlcs  as  extraordinary  beings, 
scarcely  subject  to  the  same  weaknesses  and  temptations  as 
ourselves.  Yet  in  so  doing,  we  are  forgetful  of  this  truth, 
that  the  nearer  a  man  lives  to  God,  the  more  intensely  has 
he  to  mourn  over  his  own  evil  heart ;  and  the  more  his  Mas- 
ter honors  him  in  His  service,  the  more  also  doth  the  evil  of 
the  flesh  vex  and  tease  him  day  by  day.  The  fact  is,  if  we 
had  seen  the  apostle  Paul,  we  should  have  thought  him  re- 
markably like  the  rest  of  the  chosen  family ;  and  if  we  had 
talked  with  him,  we  should  have  said,  "  We  find  that  his  ex- 
perience and  ours  are  much  the  same.  He  is  more  faithful, 
more  holy,  and  more  deeply  taught  than  we  are,  but  he  has 
the  selfsame  trials  to  endure.  Nay,  in  some  respects  he  is 
more  sorely  tried  than  ourselves."  Do  not,  then,  look  upon 
the  ancient  saints  as  being  exempt  either  from  infirmities  or 
sins ;  and  do  not  regard  them  with  that  mystic  reverence 
which  will  almost  make  us  idolaters.  Their  holiness  is  at- 
tainable even  by  us.  We  are  "  called  to  be  saints,"  by  that 
same  voice  which  constrained  them  to  their  high  vocation. 
It  is  a  Christian's  duty  to  force  his  way  iuto  the  inner  circle 
of  saintship  ;  and  if  these  saints  were  superior  to  us  in  their 
attainments,  as  they  certainly  were,  let  us  follow  them ;  lei 
us  emulate  their  ardor  and  holiness.  We  have  the  same 
'  light  that  they  had,  the  same  grace  is  accessible  to  us,  and 
•why  should  we  rest  satisfied  until  we  have  equalled  them 
in  heavenly  character  ?  They  lived  with  Jesus,  they  lived 
for  Jesus,  therefore  they  grew  like  Jesus.  Let  us  live  by 
the  same  Spirit  as  they  did,  "looking  unto  Jesus,"  and  oui 
eaiutship  will  sooa  be  apparent. 


188  DAILY    READINGS.  July  6 

'  Whoso  hearkendh  unto  me  shall  dwell  safely,  and  shall  be  quiei 
from  fear  of  evil."  —  Proverbs  i.  33. 

^fii^^IVINE  love  is  rendered  conspicuous  when  it  shinej 
pZ^^^  in  the  midst  of  judgments.  Fair  is  that  lone  star 
^^^■^  which,  smiles  through  the  rifts  of  the  thunder-clouds  ; 
Dright  is  the  oasis  which  blooms  in  the  wilderness  of  sand  ; 
so  fair  and  so  bright  is  love  iu  the  midst  of  wrath.  When  the 
Israelites  provoked  the  Most  Pligh  by  their  continued  idolatry, 
He  punished  them  by  withholding  both  dew  and  rain,  so  that 
their  land  was  visited  by  a  sore  famine  ;  but  while  He  did  this, 
He  took  care  that  His  own  chosen  ones  should  be  secure.  If 
all  other  brooks  are  dry,  yet  shall  there  be  one  reserved  for 
Elijah  ;  and  when  that  fails,  God  shall  still  preserve  for  him  a 
place  of  sustenance  ;  nay,  not  only  so,  the  Lord  had  not  simply 
one  "  Elijah,"  but  He  had  a  remnant,  according  to  the  elec- 
tion of  grace,  who  were  hidden  by  fifties  in  a  cave,  and  though 
the  whole  land  was  subject  to  famine,  yet  these  fifties  in  the 
cave  were  fed,  and  fed  from  Ahab's  table  too  by  His  faithful, 
God-fearing  steward,  Obadiah.  Let  us  from  this  draw  the  in- 
ference, that  come  what  may,  God's  people  are  safe.  Let  con- 
vulsions shake  the  solid  earth,  let  the  skies  themselves  be  rent 
in  twain,  yet  amid  the  wreck  of  worlds  the  believer  shall  be  as 
secure  as  in  the  calmest  hour  of  rest.  If  God  cannot  save  His 
people  under  heaven.  He  will  save  them  in  heaven.  If  the 
world  becomes  too  hot  to  hold  them,  then  heaven  shall  be  the 
place  of  their  reception  and  their  safety.  Be  ye  then  confi- 
dent, when  ye  hear  of  wars,  and  rumors  of  wars.  Let  no 
ligitation  distress  you,  but  be  quiet  from  fear  of  evil.  What- 
soever Cometh  upon  the  earth,  you,  beneath  the  broad  wings 
of  Jehovah,  shall  be  secure.  Stay  yourself  upon  His  prom- 
ise ;  rest  in  His  faithfulness,  and  bid  defiance  to  the  blackest 
future,  for  there  is  nothing  in  it  direful  for  you.  Your  sole 
concern  should  be  to  show  forth  to  the  world  the  bJessedqess 
of  hearkening  to  the  voice  of  wisdom. 


July  7.  CAILY    READINGS.  189 

**  Brethren,  jirai/ for  ms."  —  1  Thessalouians  v.  25. 


l^^f^^HIS  one  morning  in  the  year  we  reserved  to  refresh 
irir^i  the  reader's  memory  upon  the  subject  of  prayer  for 
'***^  ministers,  and  we  do  most  earnestly  implore  every 
Christian  household  to  grant  the  fervent  request  of  the  text 
first  uttered  by  an  apostle  and  now  repeated  by  us.  Brethren, 
our  wcrk  is  solemnly  momentous,  involving  weal  or  woe  to 
thousands  ;  we  treat  with  souls  for  God  on  eternal  business, 
and  our  word  is  either  a  savor  of  life  unto  life,  or  of  death 
unto  death.  A  very  heavy  responsibility  rests  upon  us,  and  it 
will  be  no  small  mercy  if  at  the  last  we  be  found  clear  of  the 
blood  of  all  men.  As  officers  in  Christ's  army,  we  are  the 
especial  mark  of  the  enmity  of  men  and  devils ;  they  watch 
for  our  halting,  and  labor  to  take  us  by  the  heels.  Our 
sacred  calling  involves  us  in  temptations  from  which  you  are 
exempt ;  above  all  it  too  often  draws  us  away  from  our  per- 
sonal enjoyment  of  truth,  into  a  ministerial  and  official  con- 
sideration of  it.  We  meet  with  many  knotty  cases,  and  our 
wits  are  at  a  nonplus  ;  we  observe  very  sad  backslidings,  and 
our  hearts  are  wounded;  we  see  millions  perishing,  and  our 
spirits  sink.  We  wish  to  profit  you  by  our  preaching  ;  we 
desire  to  be  blest  to  your  children  ;  we  long  to  be  useful  both 
to  saints  and  sinners  ;  therefore,  dear  friends,  intercede  for 
us  with  our  God.  Miserable  men  are  we  if  we  miss  the  aid 
of  your  prayers,  but  happy  are  we  if  we  live  in  your  suppli- 
cations. You  do  not  look  to  us,  but  to  our  Master,  for  spirit- 
ual blessings  ;  and  yet  how  many  times  has  He  given  those 
blessings  through  His  ministers !  Ask,  then,  again  and  again, 
ihat  we  may  be  the  earthen  vessels  into  which  the  Lord  ma^ 
put  the  treasures  of  the  gospel.  We.  the  whole  company  of 
oiissionaries,  ministers,  city-missionaries,  and  students,  do, 
IQ  the  name  of  Jesus,  beseech  you 

"  Brethren,  prat  fob  us." 


i90  DAILY   HEADINGS.  July  8. 


"  Tdl  me,  I  pray  thee,  wherein  thy  great  stnngth  lieth." 
Judges  xvi.  6. 

PjHERE  lies  the  secret  strength  of  faith  ?  It  lies  in  the 
U  food  it  feeds  on ;  for  faith  studies  what  the  promise  it 
—  an  emanation  of  divine  grace,  an  overflowing  of 
the  great  heart  of  God  ;  and  faith  says,  "  My  God  could  not 
have  given  this  promise,  except  from  love  and  grace  ;  there- 
fore it  is  quite  certain  His  Word  will  be  fulfilled."  Then 
faith  thinketh,  "  TF/jo  gave  this  promise?"  It  considereth 
not  so  much  its  greatness,  as  "  Who  is  the  author  of  it  ? " 
She  remembers  that  it  is  God,  who  cannot  lie  —  God  om- 
nipotent, God  immutable  ;  and  therefore  concludeth  that  the 
promise  must  be  fulfilled ;  and  forward  she  advances  in  this 
firm  conviction.  She  remembereth  %vhy  the  promise  was  given, 
—  namely,  for  God's  glory,  and  she  feels  perfectly  sure  that 
God's  glory  is  safe,  that  He  will  never  stain  His  own  escutch- 
eon, nor  mar  the  lustre  of  His  own  crown ;  and  therefore 
the  promise  must  and  will  stand.  Then  faith  also  considereth 
the  amazing  work  of  Christ  as  being  a  clear  proof  of  the 
Father's  intention  to  fulfil  His  word.  "  He  that  spared  not 
His  own  Son,  but  freely  delivered  Him  up  for  us  all,  how 
shall  He  not  with  Him  also  freely  give  us  all  things  ?  "  More- 
over, faith  looks  back  upon  tlie  past,  for  her  battles  have 
strengthened  her,  and  her  victories  have  given  her  courage. 
She  remembers  that  God  never  has  failed  her ;  nay,  that 
He  never  did  once  fail  any  of  His  children.  She  recollecteth 
times  of  great  peril,  when  deliverance  came  ;  hours  of  awful 
need,  when  as  her  day  her  strength  was  found,  and  she  cries, 
"  No,  I  never  will  be  led  to  think  that  He  can  change  and 
leave  His  servant  now."  "  Hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped 
me,  and  He  will  help  me  still."  Thus  faith  views  each 
promise  in  its  connection  with  the  Promise-giver,  and,  be- 
cause she  does  so,  can  with  assurance  say,  "  Surely  goodnesi 
and  mercy  shall  follow  me  all  the  days  of  my  life  !  " 


July  9.  DAILY    READINGS.  191 

"Forget  not  all  His  benefits."  —  Psalm  ciii.  2. 


m 


v?|T  is  a  delightful  and  profitaVIe  occupation  to  mark 
^j^  the  band  of  God  in  the  lives  of  ancient  saints,  and  to 
'^  observe  His  goodness  in  delivering  them,  His  mercj 
in  pardoning  them,  and  His  faithfulness  in  keeping  His  cove- 
nant with  them.  But  would  it  not  be  even  more  interesting  and 
profitable  for  us  to  remark  the  hand  of  God  in  our  own  lives  ? 
Ought  we  not  to  look  upon  our  own  history  as  being  at  least 
as  full  of  God,  as  full  of  His  goodness  and  of  His  truth,  as 
much  a  proof  of  His  faithfulness  and  veracity,  as  the  lives  of 
any  of  the  saints  who  have  gone  before  ?  We  do  our  Lord 
an  injustice  when  we  suppose  that  He  wrought  all  his  mighty 
acts,  and-showed  Himself  strong  for  those  in  the  early  time, 
but  doth  not  perform  wonders  or  lay  bare  His  arm  for  the 
saints  who  are  now  upon  the  earth.  Let  us  review  our  own 
lives.  Surely  in  these  we  may  discover  some  happy  incidents, 
refreshing  to  ourselves  and  glorifying  to  our  God.  Have 
you  had  no  deliverances  ?  Have  you  passed  through  no 
rivers  supported  by  the  divine  presence  ?  Have  you  walked 
through  no  fires  unharmed  ?  Have  you  had  no  manifestations  f 
Have  you  had  no  choice  favors  f  The  God  who  gave  Solo- 
mon the  desire  of  his  heart,  hath  He  never  listened  to  you 
and  answered  your  requests  ?  That  God  of  lavish  bounty  of 
whom  David  sang,  "  Who  satisfieth  thy  mouth  with  good 
things,"  hath  He  never  satiated  you  with  fatness  ?  Have 
you  never  been  made  to  lie  down  in  green  pastures  ?  Have 
you  never  been  led  by  the  still  waters  ?  Surely  the  goodness 
of  God  has  been  the  same  to  us  as  to  the  saints  of  old.  Let 
us,  then,  weave  His  mercies  into  a  song.  Let  us  take  the 
pure  gold  of  thankfulness,  and  the  jewels  of  praise,  and  make 
them  into  another  crown  for  the  head  of  Jesus.  Let  our  souls 
give  forth  music  as  sweet  and  as  exhilarating  as  came  from 
Dj-vid's  harp,  while  we  praise  the  Lord,  whose  mercy  endur* 
eth  forever. 


192  DAILY   REAniXGS.  July  IGi 


"  Fellow-citizens  with  the  *aiHYs."--Ephesians  ii.  19. 

^JIAT  is  meant  by  our  being  citizens  in  heaven  ?  It 
^twM  means  that  %ve  are  under  heaven  s  governinent.  Christ, 
■^^  the  King  of  heaven,  reigns  in  our  hearts ;  our  daily 
prayer  is,  "  I'hy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven." 
The  proclamations  issued  from  the  throne  of  glory  are 
freely  received  by  us ;  the  decrees  of  the  Great  King  we 
cheerfully  obey.  Then,  as  citizens  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  ivt 
share  heaven's  honors.  The  glory  which  belongs  to  beatified 
saints  belongs  to  us,  for  we  are  already  sons  of  God,  already 
princes  of  the  blo,od  imperial ;  already  we  wear  the  spotless 
robe  of  Jesus'  righteousness  ;  already  we  have  angels  for  our 
servitors,  saints  for  our  companions,  Christ  for  our  brother, 
God  for  our  Father,  and  a  crown  of  immortality  for  our  re- 
ward. We  share  the  honors  of  citizenship,  for  we  have 
come  to  the  general  assembly  and  Church  of  the  first-born 
whose  names  are  written  in  heaven.  As  citizens,  we  have 
common  rights  to  all  the  property  of  heaven.  Ours  are  its 
gates  of  pearl  and  walls  of  chrysolite  ;  ours  the  azure  light 
of  the  city  that  needs  no  candle  nor  light  of  the  sun ;  ours 
the  river  of  the  water  of  life,  and  the  twelve  manner  of  fruits 
which  grow  on  the  trees  planted  on  the  banks  thereof;  there 
is  nought  in  heaven  that  belongeth  not  to  us.  "  Things 
present,  or  things  to  come,"  all  are  ours.  Also,  as  citizens 
of  heaven,  we  enjoy  its  delights.  Do  they  there  rejoice  over 
sinners  that  repent  —  prodigals  that  have  returned  ?  So  do 
we.  Do  they  chant  the  glories  of  triumphant  grace  ?  We 
do  the  same.  Do  they  cast  their  crowns  at  Jesus'  feet  ? 
Such  honors  as  we  have  we  cast  there  too.  Are  they  charmed 
with  His  smile  ?  It  is  not  less  sweet  to  us  who  dwell  below. 
Do  they  look  forward,  waiting  for  His  second  advent  ?  We 
also  look  and  long  for  His  appearing.  If,  then,  we  are  thus 
citizens  of  Jieavcny  let  our  walk  and  actions  be  consistent  witb 
our  high  dignity. 


July   11.  ilAILY    READINGSi  193 

'^  After  that  ye  have  mffered  awhile,  make  you  perfect,  stablish, 
strengthen,  settle  you."  —  1  Peter  v.  10. 

L'^OU  have  seen  the  arch  of  heaven  as  it  spans  the 
[p  plain  :  glorious  arc  its  colors,  and  rare  its  hues.  It  ia 
'y'^  beautiful,  but,  alas,  it  passes  away,  and  lo,  it  is  not. 
The  fair  colors  give  way  to  the  fleecy  clouds,  and  the 
sky  is  no  longer  brilliant  with  the  tints  of  heaven.  It  is  not 
established.  How  can  it  be  ?  A  glorious  show  made  up  of 
transitory  sunbeams  and  passing  rain-drops,  how  can  it 
abide  ?  The  graces  of  the  Christian  character  must  not  re- 
semble the  rainbow  in  its  transitory  beauty,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, must  be  stablished,  settled,  abiding.  Seek,  0  believer, 
that  every  good  thing  you  have  may  be  an  abiding  thing. 
May  your  character  not  be  a  writing  upon  the  sand,  but  an 
inscription  upon  the  rock.  May  your  faith  be  no  "  baseless 
fabric  of  a  vision,"  but  may  it  be  builded  of  material  able  to 
endure  that  awful  fire  which  shall  consume  the  wood,  hay, 
and  stubble  of  the  hypocrite.  May  you  be  rooted  and 
grounded  in  love.  May  your  convictions  be  deep,  your  love 
real,  your  desires  earnest.  May  your  whole  life  be  so  set- 
tled and  established  that  all  the  blasts  of  hell  and  all  the 
storms  of  earth  shall  never  be  able  to  remove  you.  But  notice 
how  this  blessing  of  being  "stablished  in  the  faith"  is  gained. 
The  apostle's  words  point  us  to  suffering  as  the  means  em- 
ployed —  ^^ After  that  ye  have  suffered  awhile."  It  is  of  no  use 
to  hope  that  we  shall  be  well  rooted  if  no  rough  winds  pass  over 
us.  Those  old  gnarlings  on  the  root  of  the  oak  tree,  and  those 
strange  1  wistings  of  the  branches,  all  tell  of  the  many  storms 
that  have  swept  over  it,  and  they  are  also  indicators  of  the 
depth  into  which  the  roots  have  forced  their  way.  So  the 
Christian  is  made  strong  and  firmly  rooted  by  all  the  trials  and 
BtoriL.3  of  life.  Shrink  not  then  from  the  tempestuous  winds 
of  trial,  but  take  comfort,  believing  that  by  their  lough  dis* 
eipline  God  is  fulfilling  this  benediction  to  you. 
17 


194  iJAILY   READIKG&.  July  i2 

"Sanctified  hy  God  the  Father."  —  Jude  1.  "Sanctified  in  Clirist 
Jesus." — 1  Corinthians  i.  2.  "Through  sanctijicatii.n  of  the 
Spirit."-^!  Peter  i.  2. 

"lARK  the  union  of  the  Three  Divine  Persons  in  all 
their  gracious  acts.  How  unwisely  do  those  believ 
ers  talk,  who  make  preferences  in  the  Persons  of  the 
Trinity ;  who  think  of  Jesus  as  if  He  were  the  embodiment 
of  everything  lovely  and  gracious,  while  the  Father  they 
regard  as  severely  just,  but  destitute  of  kindness.  Equally 
wrong  are  those  who  magnify  the  decree  of  the  Father,  and 
the  atonement  of  the  Son,  so  as  to  depreciate  the  work  of 
the  Spirit.  In  deeds  of  grace,  none  of  the  Persons  of  the 
Trinity  act  apart  from  the  rest.  They  are  as  united  in  their 
deeds  as  in  their  essence.  In  their  love  towards  the  chosen 
they  are  one,  and  in  the  actions  which  flow  from  that  great 
central  source  they  are  still  undivided.  Specially  notice  this 
in  the  matter  of  sanctification.  While  we  may  without  mis- 
take speak  of  sanctification  as  the  work  of  the  Spirit,  yet  we 
must  take  heed  that  we  do  not  view  it  as  if  the  Father  and 
the  Son  had  no  part  therein.  It  is  correct  to  speak  of  sanc- 
tification as  the  work  of  the  Father,  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Spirit.  Still  doth  Jehovah  say,  "  Let  Us  make  man  in  Our 
own  image  after  Our  likeness,"  and  thus  we  are  *^  His  work- 
manship, created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,  which 
God  hath  before  ordained  that  we  should  walk  in  them." 
See  the  value  which  God  sets  upon  real  holiness,  since  the 
Three  Persons  in  the  Trinity  are  represented  as  co-working 
to  produce  a  Church  "without  spot,  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such 
thing."  And  you,  believer,  as  the  follower  of  Christ,  must 
also  set  a  high  value  on  holiness  —  upon  purity  of  life  and 
godliness  of  conversation.  Value  the  blood  of  Christ  as  the 
foundation  of  your  hope,  but  never  speak  disparagingly  of 
the  WQ,rk  of  the  Spirit  which  is  your  meetness  for  the  inher- 
itance of  the  saints  in  light.  This  day  let  us  so  live  as  t< 
manifest  the  work  of  the  Triune  Grod  in  us. 


July  l3.  DaiLv  liEAi>iNGs.  195 

"  Qod  said  to  Jonah,  Doest  thou  well  to  be  angri/7" —  Jon.  iv.  9. 

'^^NGER  is  not  always  or  necessarily  sinful,  but  it  has 
J  ^^  such  a  tendency  to  run  wild,  that,  whenever  it  dis« 
'-^^  plays  itself,  we  should  be  quick  to  question  its  char- 
acter with  this  inquiry,  "  Doest  thou  well  to  be  angry  ?  "  I5 
may  be  that  we  can  answer,  "  YES."  Very  frequently  anger 
is  the  madman's  firebrand,  but  sometimes  it  is  Elijah's  fire 
from  heaven.  We  do  well  when  we  are  angry  with  sin,  be- 
cause of  the  wrong  which  it  commits  against  our  good  and 
gracious  God ;  or  with  ourselves,  because  we  remain  so  fool- 
ish after  so  much  divine  instruction  ;  or  with  others,  when 
the  sole  cause  of  anger  is  the  evil  which  they  do.  He  who 
is  not  angry  at  transgression  becomes  a  partaker  in  it.  Sin 
is  a  loathsome  and  hateful  thing,  and  no  renewed  heart  can 
patiently  endure  it.  God  Himself  is  angry  with  the  wicked 
every  day,  and  it  is  written  in  His  Word,  "  Ye  that  love  the 
Lord,  hate  evil."  Far  more  frequently  it  is  to  be  feared 
that  our  anger  is  not  commendable,  or  even  justifiable,  and 
then  we  must  answer,  "  NO."  Why  should  we  be  fretful 
with  children,  passionate  with  servants,  and  wrathful  with 
companions  ?  Is  such  anger  honorable  to  our  Christian  pro- 
fession, or  glorifying  to  God  ?  Is  it  not  the  old  evil  heart 
seeking  to  gain  dominion,  and  should  we  not  resist  it  with 
all  the  might  of  our  new-born  nature.  Many  professors  give 
way  to  temper  as  though  it  were  u.seless  to  attempt  resist- 
ance ;  but  let  the  believer  remember  that  he  must  be  a  con- 
queror in  ever}'^  point,  or  else  he  cannot  be  crowned.  If  we 
cannot  control  our  tempers,  what  has  grace  done  for  us  ? 
Some  one  told  Mr.  Jay  that  grace  was  often  grafted  on  a 
crab-stump.  "Yes,"  said  he,  "but  the  fruit,  will  not  be 
crabs."  We  must  not  make  natural  infirmity  an  excuse  for 
ein,  but  we  must  fly  to  the  cross,  and  pray  the  Lord  to  cru- 
cify our  tempers,  and  renew  us  in  gentleness  and  meekness 
after  His  own  imaiie. 


196  DAILY   READINGS.  July  14, 

"If  thou  lift  up  thy  tool  upon  it,  thou  hast  oolluted  it." — Ex.  xx.  25. 

OD'S  altar  was  to  be  built  of  unhewn  stones,  that  no 
_,,^  ))  trace  of  human  skill  or  labor  might  be  seen  upon  it. 
^'^'^^^^'^^  Human  wisdom  delights  to  trim  and  arrange  the  doc- 
trines of  the  cross  into  a  system  more  artificial  and  moie 
congenial  with  the  depraved  tastes  of  fallen  nature  ;  instead., 
however,  of  improving  the  gospel,  carnal  wisdom  pollutes  it, 
until  it  becomes  another  gospel,  and  not  the  truth  of  God  at 
all.  All  alterations  and  amendments  of  the  Lord's  own 
Word  are  defilements  and  pollutions.  The  proud  heart  of 
man  is  very  anxious  to  have  a  hand  in  the  justification  of  the 
soul  before  God  ;  preparations  for  Christ  are  dreamed  of, 
humblings  and  repentings  are  trusted  in,  good  works  are 
cried  up,  natural  ability  is  much  vaunted,  and  by  all  means 
the  attempt  is  made  to  lift  up  human  tools  upon  the  divine 
altar.  It  were  well  if  sinners  would  remember  that,  so  far 
from  perfecting  the  Saviour's  work,  their  carnal  confidences 
only  pollute  and  dishonor  it.  The  Lord  alone  must  be  ex- 
alted in  the  work  of  atonement,  and  not  a  single  mark  of 
man's  chisel  or  hammer  will  be  endured.  There  is  an  in- 
herent blasphemy  in  seeking  to  add  to  what  Christ  Jesus  in 
His  dying  moments  declared  to  be  finished,  or  to  improve 
that  in  which  the  Lord  Jehovah  finds  perfect,  satisfaction. 
Trembling  sinner,  away  with  thy  tools,  and  fall  upon  thy 
knees  in  humble  supplication ;  and  accept  the  Lord  Jesus  to 
be  the  altar  of  thine  atonement,  and  rest  in  Him  alone. 

Many  professors  may  take  warning  from  this  morning's 
oext  as  to  the  doctrines  which  they  believe.  There  is  among 
Christians  far  too  much  inclination  to  square  and  reconcile 
the  truths  of  revelation  ;  this  is  a  form  of  irreverence  and 
unbelief;  let  us  strive  against  it,  and  receive  truth  as  we 
find  it ;  rejoicing  that  the  doctrines  of  the  Word  are  unhewn 
Htones,  and  so  are  all  the  more  fit  to  build  an  altar  for  the 
Lord. 


July  1 5.  bAILY   EKAbtNiSS.  19^ 

"  The  fire  shall  ever  he  burning  npon  the  altar ;  it  shall  never  >jo 
out."  —  Leviticus  vi.  13. 

J^5S[^"5JEEP  the  altar  of  private  prayer  burning.  Thi?  's  the 
pIpAvI  ^^^y  ^^^^  of  all  piety.  The  sanctuary  and  family  altars 
^^^  borrow  their  fires  here  ;  therefore  let  this  burn  well. 
Secret  devotion  is  the  very  essence,  evidence,  and  barometer 
of  vital  ancT  experimental  religion.  Burn  here  the  fat  of 
your  sacrifices.  Let  your  closet  seasons  be,  if  possible,  reg- 
ular, frequent,  and  undisturbed.  Effectual  prayer  availeth 
much.  Have  you  nothing  to  pray  for  ?  Let  us  suggest  the 
Church,  the  ministry,  your  own  soul,  your  children,  your  re- 
lations, your  neighbors,  your  country,  and  the  cause  of  God 
and  truth  throughout  the  world.  Let  us  examine  ourselves 
on  this  important  matter.  Do  we  engage  with  lukewarmness 
in  private  devotion  ?  Is  the  fire  of  devotion  burning  dimly 
in  our  hearts  ?  Do  the  chariot  wheels  drag  heavily  ?  If  so, 
let  us  be  alarmed  at  this  sign  of  decay.  Let  us  go  with  weep- 
ing, and  ask  for  the  spirit  of  grace  and  of  supplication.  Let 
us  set  apart  special  seasons  for  extraordinary  prayer.  For 
if  this  fire  should  be  smothered  beneath  the  ashes  of  a  worldly 
conformity,  it  will  dim  the  fire  oil  the  family  altar,  and  lessen 
our  influence  both  in  the  Church  and  in  the  world.  The  text 
will  also  apply  to  the  altar  of  the  heart.  This  is  a  golden  altar 
indeed.  God  loves  to  see  the  hearts  of  His  people  glowing 
towards  Himself.  Let  us  give  to  God  our  hearts,  all  blazing 
with  love,  and  seek  His  grace,  that  the  fire  may  never  be 
quenched  ;  for  it  will  not  burn  if  the  Lord  does  not  keep  it 
burning.  Many  foes  will  attempt  to  extinguish  it ;  but  if 
the  unseen  hand  behind  the  wall  pour  thereon  the  sacred 
oil,  it  will  blaze  higher  and  higher.  Let  us  use  tests  of 
Scripture  as  fuel  for  our  heart's  fire  ;  they  are  live  coals  ; 
let  us  attend  sermons,  but  above  all  let  us  be  much  alone 
with  Jesus. 

17* 


l98  i)AiLY  REAbiNbs.  July  16. 


yA 


They  gathered  manna  every  morning."  —  Exodus  xvi.  21. 

j>l§^ABOR  to  maintain  a  sense  of  thine  entire  dependence 
'^}  upon  the  Lord's  good  ivill  and  pleasure  for  the  contin- 
uance of  thy  richest  enjoyments.  Never  try  to  live  on 
the  old  manna,  nor  seek  to  find  help  in  Egypt.  All  must 
come  from  Jesus,  or  thou  art  undone  forever.  Old  anoint- 
ings will  not  suffice  to  impart  unction  to  thy  spirit ;  thine  head 
must  have  fresh  oil  poured  upon  it  from  the  golden  horn  of 
she  sanctuary,  or  it  will  cease  from  its  glory.  To-day  thou 
mayst  be  upon  the  summit  of  the  mount  of  God  ;  but  He  who 
has  put  thee  there  must  keep  thee  there,  or  thou  wilt  sink 
far  more  speedily  than  thou  dreamest.  Thy  mountain  only 
stands  firm  when  He  settles  it  in  its  place  ;  if  He  hide  His 
face,  thou  wilt  soon  be  troubled.  If  the  Saviour  should  see 
fit,  there  is  not  a  window  through  which  thou  seest  the  light 
of  heaven  which  He  could  not  darken  in  an  instant.  Joshua 
bade  the  sun  stand  still,  but  Jesus  can  shroud  it  in  total 
darkness.  He  can  withdraw  the  joy  of  thine  heart,  the  light 
of  thine  eyes,  and  the  strength  of  thy  life ;  in  His  hand  thy 
comforts  lie,  and  at  His  will  they  can  depart  from  thee.  This 
hourly  dependence  our  Lord  is  determined  that  we  shall  feel 
and  recognize,  for  He  only  permits  us  to  pray  for  "  daily 
bread,"  and  only  promises  that  "  as  our  days  our  strength 
shall  be."  Is  it  not  best  for  us  that  it  should  be  so,  that  we 
may  often  repair  to  His  throne,  and  constantly  be  reminded 
of  His  love  ?  Oh,  how  rich  the  grace  which  supplies  us  so 
continually,  and  doth  not  refrain  itself  because  of  our  in- 
gratitude !  The  golden  shower  never  ceases,  the  cloud  of 
blessing  tarries  evermore  above  our  habitation.  0  Lord 
Jesus,  we  would  bow  at  Thy  feet,  conscious  of  our  utter 
inability  to  do  anything  without  Thee  ;  and  in  every  favor 
which  we  are  privileged  to  receive,  we  would  adore  Thj 
t-'-iBsed  name  and  acknowledge  Thine  unexhausted  love. 


July   it.  bAILY    RKALMNOS.  Iftft 

"Kfiowiny,  brethren  beloved,  your  election  of  Qod."  —  1  Thess.  L  4. 

fi'^^ANY  persons  want  to  know  their  election  before  they 
i?/Xl  III  ^^^^"^  ^^  Christ ;  but  they  cannot  learn  it  thus ;  it  ia 
**^*^  only  to  be  discovered  by  "  looking  unto  Jesus." 
If  you  desire  to  ascertain  your  own  election,  —  after  the 
following  niauner  shall  you  assure  your  heart  before  God. 
Do  you  feel  yourself  to  be  a  lost,  guilty  sinner  ?  Go  straight- 
way to  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  tell  Jesus  so  ;  and  tell  Him 
that  you  have  read  in  the  Bible,  "  Him  that  comcth  unto 
Me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  Tell  Him  that  He  has  said, 
"  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation, 
that  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners." 
Look  to  Jesus  and  believe  on  Him,  and  you  shall  make 
proof  of  your  election  directly,  for  so  surely  as  thou  be- 
lievest,  thou  art  elect.  If  you  will  give  yourself  wholly  up 
to  Christ  and  trust  Him,  then  you  are  one  of  God's  chosen 
ones  ;  but  if  you  stop  and  say,  "  I  want  to  know  first 
whether  I  am  elect,"  you  ask  you  know  not  what.  Go  to 
Jesus,  be  you  never  so  guilty,  just  as  you  are.  Leave  all 
curious  inquiry  about  election  alone.  Go  straight  to  Christ, 
and  hide  in  His  wounds,  and  you  shall  know  your  election. 
The  assurance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  be  given  to  you,  so 
that  you  shall  be  able  to  say,  "  I  know  whom  I  have  be- 
lieved, and  I  am  persuaded  that  He  is  able  to  keep  that 
which  I  have  committed  to  Him."  Christ  was  at  the  ever- 
lasting council :  He  can  tell  you  whether  you  were  chosen 
or  not ;  but  you  cannot  find  it  out  in  any  other  way.  Go 
and  put  your  trust  in  Him,  and  His  answer  will  be,  "  I  have 
loved  thee  with  an  everlasting  love ;  therefore  with  loving- 
kindness  have  1  drawn  thee."  There  will  be  no  doubt  abouit 
Bis  having  chosen  you,  when  you  have  chosen  Him. 

"  Sons  we  are  through  God's  election. 
Who  in  Jesus  Christ  believe." 


400.  JDAILY   READINGS,  Julj  l8. 

"  Tlietj  shall  go  hindnust  with  their  standards."  —  Num.  ii.  31. 

§HE  camp  of  Dan  brought  up  the  rear  when  the  armies 
P  of  Israel  were  on  the  march.  The  Danites  occupied 
the  hindmost  place;  but  what  mattered  the  position, 
since  they  were  as  truly  part  of  the  host  as  were  the  foremost 
tribes  ?  They  followed  the  same  fiery  cloudy  pillar  ;  they  ate 
of  the  same  manna,  drank  of  the  same  spiritual  rock,  and 
journeyed  to  the  same  inheritance.  Come,  my  heart,  cheer 
up,  though  last  and  least ;  it  is  thy  privilege  to  be  in  the 
army,  and  to  fare  as  they  fare  who  lead  the  van.  Some  one 
must  be  hindmost  in  honor  and  esteem;  some  one  must  do 
menial  work  for  Jesus,  and  why  should  not  I  ?  In  a  poor 
village,  among  an  ignorant  peasantry,  or  in  a  back  street 
among  degraded  sinners,  I  will  work  on,  and  "  go  hindmost 
with  my  standard."  The  Danites  occupied  a  ve-ry  useful  place. 
Stragglers  have  to  be  picked  up  upon  the  march,  and  lost 
property  has  to  be  gathered  from  the  field.  Fiery  spirits  may 
dash  forward  over  untrodden  paths  to  learn  fresh  truth,  and 
win  more  souls  to  Jesus ;  but  some  of  a  more  conservative 
spirit  may  be  well  engaged  in  reminding  the  Church  of  her 
ancient  faith,  and  restoring  her  fainting  sons.  Every  position 
has  its  duties,  and  the  slowly  moving  children  of  God  will  find 
their  peculiar  state,  one  in  which  they  may  be  eminently  a 
blessing  to  the  whole  host.  The  rear  guard  is  a  place  of  dan- 
ger. There  are  foes  behind  us  as  well  as  before  us.  Attacks 
may  come  from  any  quarter.  We  read  that  Amalek  fell  upon 
Israel,  and  slew  some  of  the  hindmost  of  them.  The  experi- 
enced Christian  will  find  much  work  for  his  weapons  in  aiding 
those  poor  doubting,  desponding,  wavering  souls,  who  ar« 
hindmost  in  faith,  knowledge,  and  joy.  These  must  not  be 
left  unaided,  and  therefore  be  it  the  business  of  well-taught 
saints  to  bear  their  standards  among  the  hindmost.  My  soul, 
io  thou  tenderly  watch  to  he'.p  the  hindmost  this  day. 


July  19.  1>ATT.Y   REAUtNGS.  201 

"  Tlie  Lord  our  Ood  hath  shoiced  tis  Tlis  glory."  —  Deut.  v.  24. 

■iljOD'S  great  design  in  all  His  works  is  the  manifesta- 
ly  tion  of  Ilis  own  glory.  Any  aim  less  than  this  ,vero 
^^  unworthy  of  Himself.  But  how  shall  the  glory  of 
God  be  manifested  to  such  fallen  creatures  as  we  are  ? 
Man's  eye  is  not  single ;  ho  has  ever  a  side  glance  towards 
his  own  honor,  has  too  high  an  estimate  of  his  own  powers, 
and  so  is  not  qualified  to  behold  the  glory  of  the  Lord.  It 
is  clear,  then,  that  self  must  stand  out  of  the  way,  that  there 
may  be  room  for  God  to  be  exalted ;  and  this  is  the  reason 
why  He  bringeth  His  people  ofttimes  into  straits  and  diffi- 
culties, that,  being  made  conscious  of  their  own  folly  and 
weakness,  they  may  be  fitted  to  behold  the  majesty  of  God 
when  He  comes  forth  to  work  their  deliverance.  He  whose 
life  is  one  even  and  smooth  path,  will  see  but  little  of  the 
glory  of  the  Lord,  for  he  has  few  occasions  of  self-emptying, 
and  hence  but  little  fitness  for  being  tilled  with  the  revela- 
tion of  God.  They  who  navigate  little  streams  and  shallow 
creeks,  know  but  little  of  the  God  of  tempests  ;  but  they  who 
"  do  business  in  great  waters,"  these  see  His  "  wonders  in 
the  deep."  Among  the  huge  Atlantic-waves  of  bereavement, 
poverty,  temptation,  and  reproach,  we  learn  the  power  of 
Jehovah,  because  we  feel  the  littleness  of  man.  Thank  God. 
then,  if  you  have  been  led  by  a  rough  road  ;  it  is  this  whicb 
has  given  you  your  experience  of  God's  greatness  and  loving- 
kindness.  Your  troubles  have  enriched  you  with  a  wealth 
of  knowledge  to  be  gained  by  no  other  means;  your  trials 
have  been  the  cleft  of  the  rock  iu  which  Jehovah  has  set  you, 
as  He  did  His  servant  Moses,  that  you  might  behold  Hia 
glory  as  it  passed  by.  Praise  God  that  you  have  not  been 
lefi  to  the  darkness  and  ignorance  which  continued  pros- 
perity might  have  involved,  but  that  in  the  great  fight  of 
affliction,  you  have  been  capacitated  for  the  outshinings  of 
His  glory  in  His  wonderful  dealings  with  you. 


202  DAitT  HEADINGS.  July  20, 

"  The  earnest  of  our  inheritance."  —  Ephesians  i.  14. 

S^H !  what  enlightenment,  what  joys,  what  consolation, 
€/^^  what  delight  of  heart  is  experienced  by  that  man  wha 
has  learned  to  feed  on  Jesus,  and  on  Jesus  alone. 
Yet  the  realization  which  we  have  of  Christ's  preciousness 
is,  in  this  life,  imperfect  at  the  best.  As  an  old  writer  says, 
"  'Tis  but  a  taste  !  "  We  have  tasted  "  that  the  Lord  is  gra- 
cious," but  we  do  not  yet  know  how  good  and  gracious  He 
is,  although  what  we  know  of  His  sweetness  makes  us  long 
for  more.  We  have  enjoyed  the  first-fruits  of  the  Spirit, 
and  they  have  set  us  hungering  and  thirsting  for  the  fulness 
of  the  heavenly  vintage.  We  groan  within  ourselves,  wait- 
ing for  the  adoption.  Here  we  are  like  sheep  in  the  wilder- 
ness, who  had  but  one  cluster  from  Eshcol,  there  we  shall  be 
in  the  vineyard.  Here  we  see  the  manna  falling  small,  like 
coriander  seed,  but  there  shall  we  eat  the  bread  of  heaven 
and  the  old  corn  of  the  kingdom.  We  are  but  beginners 
now  in  spiritual  education ;  for  although  we  have  learned 
the  first  letters  of  the  alphabet,  we  cannot  read  words  yet, 
much  less  can  we  put  sentences  together ;  but,  as  one  says, 
"  He  that  has  been  in  heaven  but  five  minutes,  knows  more 
than  the  general  assembly  of  divineS  on  earth."  We  have 
many  ungratified  desires  at  present,  but  soon  every  wish  shall 
be  satisfied ;  and  all  our  powers  shall  find  the  sweetest  em- 
ployment in  that  eternal  world  of  joy.  0  Christian,  antedate 
heaven  for  a  few  years.  Within  a  very  little  time  thou  shalt 
be  rid  of  all  thy  trials  and  thy  troubles.  Thine  eyes,  now 
suffused  with  tears,  shall  weep  no  longer.  Thou  shalt  gaze 
in  ineffable  rapture  upon  the  splendor  of  Him  who  sits  upon 
the  throne.  Nay,  more,  upon  His  throne  shalt  thou  sit 
The  triumph  of  His  glory  shall  be  shared  by  thee ;  His  crown, 
His  joy.  His  Paradise,  these  shall  be  thine,  and  thou  shalt  b« 
co-heir  with  Him  who  is  the  Heir  of  all  things. 


July  21.  Daily  readings.  20a 

"  The  daughter  of  Jerusalem  hath  shaken  her  head  at  thee.** 
Isaiah  xxxvii.  22. 

■;?EASSURED  by  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  the  poor 
~)^  treniLling  citizens  of  Zion  grew  bold,  and  shook 
their  heads  at  Sennacherib's  boastful  threats.  Strong 
faith  enables  the  servants  of  God  to  look  with  calm  con- 
tempt upon  their  most  haughty  foes.  We  know  that  our 
enemies  are  attempting  impossihilities.  They  seek  to  destroy 
the  eternal  life,  which  cannot  die  while  Jesus  lives ;  to  over- 
throw the  citadel,  against  which  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not 
prevail.  They  kick  against  the  pricks  to  their  own  wound- 
ing, and  rush  upon  the  bosses  of  Jehovah's  buckler  to  theii 
own  hurt. 

We  know  their  lueakness.  What  are  they  but  men  ?  And 
what  is  man  but  a  worm  ?  They  roar  and  swell,  like  waves 
of  the  sea,  foaming  out  their  own  shame.  When  the  Lord 
ariseth,  they  shall  fly  as  chaff  before  the  wind,  and  be  con- 
sumed as  crackling  thorns.  Their  utter  powerlessness  to  do 
damage  to  the  cause  of  God  and  His  truth,  may  make  the 
weakest  soldiers  in  Zion's  ranks  laugh  them  to  scorn. 

Above  all,  we  know  that  the  Host  High  is  with  us,  and  when 
He  dresses  Himself  in  arms,  where  are  His  enemies  !  If  He 
Cometh  forth  from  His  place,  the  potsherds  of  the  earth  will 
not  long  contend  with  their  Maker.  His  rod  of  iron  shall 
dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel,  and  their  very 
remembrance  shall  perish  from  the  earth.  Away,  then,  all 
fears;  the  kingdom  is  safe  in  the  King's  hands.  Let  us  shout 
for  joy,  for  the  Lord  reigneth,  and  His  foes  shall  \»e  as  stran 
for  the  dunghill. 

"  As  true  as  God's  own  word  is  true, 
Nor  earth  nor  hell,  with  all  their  crew. 

Against  us  shall  prevail. 
A  jest  and  by-word  are  they  grown  ; 
God  is  with  us,  we  are  his  own  ; 

Our  victory  cannot  fdil." 


204  1)A.1T,T   HEADINGS.  JuW  22. 


"  /  am  married  unto  yon."  —  Jeremiah  iii.  14. 

.^aS^jSHKIST  Jesus  is  joined  unto  His  people  in  marriage- 
yL  'd-'M  union.  In  love  He  espoused  His  Church  as  a  chaste 
^^^^- — --^  virgin,  long  before  she  fell  under  the  yoke  of  bond- 
age. Full  of  burning  affection,  He  toiled,  like  Jacob  for 
Rachel,  until  the  whole  of  her  purchase-money  had  been 
paid  ;  and  now,  having  sought  her  by  His  spirit,  and  brought 
her  to  know  and  love  Him,  He  awaits  the  glorious  hour  when 
their  mutual  bliss  shall  be  consummated  at  the  marriage- 
Bupper  of  the  Lamb.  Not  yet  hath  the  glorious  Bridegroom 
presented  His  betrothed,  perfected  and  complete,  before  the 
Majesty  of  heaven ;  not  yet  hath  she  actually  entered  upon 
the  enjoyment  of  her  dignities  as  His  wife  and  queen  ;  she 
is  as  yet  a  wanderer  in  a  world  of  woe,  a  dweller  in  the  tents 
of  Kedar ;  but  she  is  even  now  the  bride,  the  spouse  of 
Jesus,  dear  to  His  heart,  precious  in  His  sight,  written  on 
His  hands,  and  united  with  His  person.  On  earth  He  exer- 
cises towards  her  all  the  affectionate  offices  of  Husband.  He 
makes  rich  provision  for  her  wants,  pays  all  her  debts,  allows 
her  to  assume  His  name,  and  to  share  in  all  His  wealth. 
Nor  will  He  ever  act  otherwise  to  her.  The  word  divorce 
He  will  never  mention,  for  "  He  hateth  putting  away."  Death 
must  sever  the  conjugal  tie  between  the  most  loving  mortals, 
but  it  cannot  divide  the  links  of  this  immortal  marriage.  In 
heaven  they  marry  not,  but  are  as  the  angels  of  God,  yet 
Iheie  is  this  one  marvellous  exception  to  the  rule,  for  in 
heaven  Christ  and  His  Church  shall  celebrate  their  joyous 
nuptials.  This  affinity,  as  it  is  more  lasting,  so  is  it  more 
near  than  earthly  wedlock.  Let  the  love  of  husband  be 
never  so  pure  and  fervent,  it  is  but  a  faint  picture  of  the 
flame  which  burns  in  the  heart  of  Jesus.  Pas'?ing  all  human 
union  is  that  mystical  cleaving  unto  the  Church,  for  which 
Christ  left  His  Father,  and  became  one  flesh  with  her 


July  23.  DAILY    HEADINGS.  205 

"Even  thou  wast  as  one  of  them."  —  Obadiah  i.  11. 

i?:ROTIIERTiY  kindness  was  due  from  Edom  to  Israel 
in  tlic  time  of  need,  but  instead  thereof,  tlic  men  of 
Esau  made  common  cause  with  Israel's  foes.  Special 
stress  in  the  sentence  before  us  is  laid  upon  the  word  thou ; 
as  when  Caesar  cried  to  Brutus,  "  And  thou,  Brutus  ;  "  a  bad 
action  may  be  all  the  worse  because  of  the  person  who  haa 
committed  it.  When  we  sin,  who  are  the  nhosen  favorites  of 
Heaven,  we  sin  with  an  emphasis ;  ours  is  a  crying  offence, 
because  we  are  so  peculiarly  indulged.  If  an  angel  should 
lay  his  hand  upon  us  when  we  are  doing  evil,  he  need  not 
use  any  other  reb  ike  than  the  question,  "  What,  thou  ?  What 
dost  thou  here  r "  Much  forgiven,  much  delivered,  much 
instructed,  much  enriched,  much  blessed,  shall  we  dare  to  put 
forth  our  hand  unto  evil  ?     God  forbid  ! 

A  few  minutes  of  confession  may  be  beneficial  to  thee, 
gentle  reader,  this  morning.  Uast  thou  never  been  as  the 
wicked  ?  At  an  evening  party  certain  men  laughed  at  un- 
cleanness,  and  the  joke  was  not  altogether  offensive  to  thine 
ear;  even  thou  luast  as  one  of  them.  When  hard  things  were 
spoken  concerning  the  ways  of  God,  thou  wast  bashfully 
silent ;  and  so,  to  on-lookers,  thou  wast  as  one  of  them.  When 
worldlings  were  bartering  in  the  market,  and  driving  hard 
bargains,  wast  thou  not  as  one  of  them  ?  When  they  were 
pursuing  vanity  with  a  hunter's  foot,  wert  thou  not  as  greedy 
for  gain  as  they  were  ?  Could  any  difference  be  discerned 
between  thet  and  them  ?  7s  there  a:ry  difference  ?  Here  we 
come  to  close  quarters.  Be  honest  with  thine  own  soul,  and 
make  sure  that  thou  art  a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  but 
when  this  is  sure,  walk  jealously,  lest  any  should  again  be  able 
to  say,  "  Even  thou  wast  as  one  of  them."  Thou  wouldst  not 
desire  to  share  their  eternal  doom ;  why  then  be  like  thciu  here  ? 
Come  not  thou  into  their  secret,  lest  thou  come  into  their  ruin. 
Side  with  the  afflicted  people  of  God,  and  not  with  the  world. 


206  DAILY   HEADINGS.  Jul^    -4. 

"Stand  still,  and  seethe  salvation  of  the  Lord."  —  Exodus  xi\    l.'J, 

SHESE  words  contain  God's  command  to  the  belu;ver 
when  he  is  reduced  to  great  straits  and  brought  into 
extraordinary  difficulties.  He  cannot  retreat ;  he 
cannot  go  forward ;  he  is  shut  up  on  the  right  hand  and  on 
the  left;  what  is  he  now  to  do  ?  The  Master's  word  to  him 
is,  "  Stand  still."  It  will  be  well  for  him  if  at  such  times  he 
listens  only  to  his  Master's  word,  for  other  and  evil  advisers 
come  with  their  suggestions.  Despair  whispers,  "Lie  down 
aud  die  ;  give  it  all  up."  But  God  would  have  us  put  on  a 
cheerful  courage,  and  even  in  our  worst  times,  rejoice  in  His 
love  and  faithfulness.  Cowardice  says,  "  Retreat ;  go  back 
to  the  worldling's  way  of  action  ;  you  cannot  play  the  Chris- 
tian's part ;  it  is  too  difficult.  Relinquish  your  principles." 
But,  however  much  Satan  may  urge  this  course  upon  you,  you 
cannot  follow  it  if  you  are  a  child  of  God.  His  divine  fiat 
has  bid  thee  go  from  strength  to  strength,  and  so  thou  shalt, 
and  neither  death  nor  hell  shall  turn  thee  from  thy  course. 
What  if  for  a  while  thou  art  called  to  stand  still ;  yet  this  is 
but  to  renew  thy  strength  for  some  greater  advance  in  due 
time.  PyecipiYano?/ cries,  "  Do  something.  Stir  yourself ;  to 
stand  still  aud  wait  is  sheer  idleness."  We  must  be  doing 
something  at  once  — we  must  do  it,  so  we  think  —  instead  of 
looking  to  the  Lord,  who  will  not  only  do  something,  but  will 
do  everything.  Fresumjdion  boasts,  "  If  the  sea  be  before 
you,  march  into  it,  aud  expect  a  miracle."  But  Faith  listens 
neither  to  Presumption,  nor  to  Despair,  nor  to  Cowardice, 
nor  to  Precipitancy,  but  it  hears  God  say,  "  Stand  still,"  and 
immovable  as  a  rock  it  stands.  '■'Stand  stlW;" — keep  the 
posture  of  an  upright  man,  ready  for  action,  expecting  further 
orders,  cheerfully  and  patiently  awaiting  the  directing  voice; 
and  it  will  not  be  long  ere  God  shall  say  to  you,  as  distinctlj 
as  Moses  said  it  to  the  people  of  Israel,  "  Go  forward." 


July  25,  DAILY    READIN08.  207 

"  He  left  his  (jarmcnt  in  her  hand,  and  fied,  and  got  him  out." 
Genesis  xxxix.  12. 

fl[|^-N  contending  with  certain  sins,  there  remains  no 
|ca  mode  of  victory  but  by  flight.  The  ancient  nat* 
v/^^  uralists  wrote  much  of  basilisks,  whose  eyes  fasci- 
nated their  victims,  and  rendered  them  easy  victims  ;  so  the 
mere  gaze  of  wickedness  puts  us  in  solemn  danger.  lie  who 
would  be  safe  from  acts  of  evil  must  haste  away  from  occa- 
Bions  of  it.  A  covenant  must  be  made  with  our  eyes  not  even 
to  look  upon  the  cause  of  temptation,  for  such  sins  only  need 
a  spark  to  begin  with,  and  a  blaze  follows  in  an  instant. 
Who  would  wantonly  enter  the  leper's  prison  and  sleep  amid 
its  horrible  corruption  ?  lie  only  who  desires  to  be  leprous 
himself  would  thus  court  contagion.  If  the  mariner  knew 
how  to  avoid  a  storm,  he  would  do  anything  rather  than  run 
the  risk  of  weathering  it  ?  Cautious  pilots  have  no  desire  to 
try  how  near  the  quicksand  they  can  sail,  or  how  often  they 
may  touch  a  rock  without  springing  a  leak ;  their  aim  is  to 
keep  as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  midst  of  a  safe  channel. 

This  day  I  may  be  exposed  to  great  peril ;  let  me  have  the 
serpent's  wisdom  to  keep  out  of  it  and  avoid  it.  The  wings 
of  a  dove  may  be  of  more  use  to  me  to-day  than  the  jaws  of 
a  lion.  It  is  true  I  may  be  an  apparent  loser  by  declining 
evil  com2)any,  but  I  had  better  leave  my  cloak  than  lose  my 
character;  it  is  not  needful  that  I  should  be  rich,  but  it  is 
imperative  upon  me  to  be  pure.  No  ties  of  friendship,  no 
chains  of  beauty,  no  flashings  of  talent,  no  shafts  of  ridicule 
must  turn  nic  from  the  wise  resolve  to  flee  from  sin.  The 
devil  I  am  to  resist,  and  ho  will  flee  from  me ;  but  the  lusts 
of  the  flesh  I  must  flee,  or  they  will  surely  overcome  me. 
0  God  of  holiness,  preserve  Thy  Josephs,  that  Madam 
Bubble  bewitch  them  not  with  her  vile  suggestions.  May 
the  horrible  trinity  of  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil, 
lever  overcome  us. 


208  DAJLT    READINGS.  Julj  26. 


"  Giving  all  diligence,  add  to  your  faith  vii  tue,  and  to  virtue 
knowledge"  &c.  —  2  Peter  i.  5,  G. 

f^fRF  thou  wouldst  enjoy  the  eminent  grace  of  the  fu)\ 
^c^  assurance  of  faith,  under  the  blessed  Spirit's  influ- 
•^  ence  a. id  assistance,  do  v'hat  the  Scri^jture  tells  thee 
—  "  Give  diligence."  Take  care  that  thy  faith  is  of  the  right 
kind  —  that  it  is  not  a  mere  belief  of  doctrine,  but  a  simple 
faith,  depending  on  Christ,  and  on  Christ  alone.  Give  dili- 
gent heed  to  thy  courage.  Plead  with  God  that  He  would 
give  thee  the  face  of  a  lion,  that  thou  mayst,  with  a  con- 
sciousness of  right,  go  on  boldly.  Study  well  the  Scriptures, 
and  get  knotvledge ;  for  a  knowledge  of  doctrine  will  tend 
very  much  to  confis-m  faith.  Try  to  understand  God's  Word  ; 
let  it  dwell  in  thy  heart  richly. 

When  thou  hast  done  this,  "  add  to  thy  knowledge  tem- 
perance." Take  heed  to  thy  body ;  be  temperate  without. 
Take  heed  to  thy  soul ;  be  temperate  within.  Get  temper- 
ance of  lip,  life,  heart,  and  thought.  Add  to  this,  by  God's 
Holy  Spirit,  patience;  ask  Him  to  give  thee  that  patience 
which  endureth  affliction ;  which,  when  it  is  tried,  shall  come 
forth  as  gold.  Array  yourself  with  patience,  that  you  maj 
not  murmur  nor  be  depressed  in  your  afflictions.  When  thai 
grace  is  won,  look  to  godliness.  Godliness  is  something 
more  than  religion.  Make  God's  glory  your  object  in  life  ; 
live  in  His  sight ;  dwell  close  to  Him;  seek  for  fellowship 
with  Him ;  and  thou  hast  "  godliness ; "  and  to  that  add 
brotherly  lova.  Have  a  love  to  all  the  saints  ;  and  add  to  that 
&  charity,  which  openeth  its  arms  to  all  men,  and  loves  their 
Houls.  When  you  are  adorned  with  these  jewels,  and  just  in 
proportion  as  you  practise  these  heavenly  virtues,  will  you 
■iouic  to  know  by  clearest  evidence  "  your  calling  and  elec- 
Uou."  "  Give  diligence,"  if  you  would  get  assurance,  for 
lukewarmness  and  doubting  very  nuturally  go  hand  in  hand 


July  27.  DAILY'    READINGS.  209 

"Exceeding  great  and  precious  promises."  —  2  Peter  i.  4. 


§: 


Hi 


^yvF  you  would  know  experimentally  the  preciou.snes!" 
•i^  of  the  promises,  and  enjoy  thciu  in  your  own  heart, 
medilaie  much  upon  them.  There  are  promises  which 
are  like  grapes  in  the  wine-press :  if  you  will  tread  them  the 
juice  will  flow.  Thinking  over  the  hallowed  words  will  often 
be  the  prelude  to  their  fiilQlnicnt.  While  you  are  musing 
upon  them,  the  boon  which  you  are  seeking  will  insensibly 
come  to  3'ou.  Many  a  Christian  who  has  thirsted  for  the 
promise  has  found  the  favor  which  it  insured  gently  distilling 
into  his  soul  even  while  he  has  been  considering  the  divine 
record ;  and  he  has  rejoiced  that  ever  he  was  led  to  lay  the 
promise  near  his  heart.  But  besides  ineditating  upon  the 
promises,  seek  in  thy  soul  to  receive  them  as  being  the  very 
words  of  God.  Speak  to  thy  soul  thus  :  "  If  I  were  dealing 
with  a  man's  promise,  I  should  carefully  consider  the  ability 
and  the  character  of  the  man  who  had  covenanted  witii  me. 
So  with  the  promise  of  God  ;  my  eye  must  not  be  so  mucli 
fixed  upon  the  greatness  of  the  mercy  —  that  may  stagger 
me,  as  upon  the  greatness  of  the  Promiser  —  that  will  cheer 
me.  My  soul,  it  is  God,  even  thy  God,  God  that  cannot 
lie,  who  speaks  to  thee.  This  word  of  His  which  thou  art 
now  considering  is  as  true  as  His  own  existence.  He  is  .% 
God  unchangeable.  He  has  not  altered  the  thing  which  ban 
gone  out  of  His  mouth,  nor  called  back  one  single  consola- 
tory sentence.  Nor  doth  He  lack  any  power;  it  is  the  God 
that  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth  who  has  spoken  thus. 
Nor  can  He  fail  in  wisdom  as  to  the  time  when  He  will  be- 
stow the  favors,  for  He  knowcth  when  it  is  best  to  give,  and 
when  better  to  withhold.  Therefore,  seeing  that  it  is  the 
word  of  a  God  so  true,  so  immutable,  so  powerful,  so  wise, 
I  will  and  must  believe  the  promise."  If  we  thus  meditate 
upon  the  promises,  and  consider  the  Promiser,  we  shall  ei- 
perience  their  sweetness,  and  obtain  their  fulfilment 
18* 


210  DAILY  READINGS.  July  28 

^^  So  foolish  was  I,  and  ignorant:  I  was  as  a  bead  before  thee." 
Psalm  Ixxiii.  22. 

^"vcEMEMBER,  this  is  the  confession  of  the  man  aftet 
^^^  God's  own  heart ;  and,  in  telling  us  his  inner  life,  he 
■^*^  writes,  "  So  foolish  was  I,  and  ignorant."  The  word 
**fool{shy"  here,  means  more  than  it  signifies  in  ordinary 
language.  David,  in  a  former  verse  of  the  Psalm,  writes. 
"  I  was  envious  of  the  foolish  when  I  saw  the  prosperity  of 
the  wicked,"  which  shows  that  the  folly  he  intended  had  sin 
in  it.  He  puts  himself  down  as  being  thus  "foolish,"  and 
adds  a  word  which  is  to  give  intensity  to  it :  "  so  foolish  was 
I."  How  foolish,  he  could  not  tell.  It  was  a  sinful  folly,  a 
folly  which  was  not  to  be  excused  by  frailty,  but  to  be  con- 
demned because  of  its  perverseness  and  wilful  ignorance,  for 
he  had  been  envious  of  the  present  prosperity  of  the  ungodly, 
forgetful  of  the  dreadful  end  awaiting  all  such  And  are  we 
better  than  David,  that  we  should  caL  ourselvet.  wise  ?  Do 
we  profess  that  we  have  attained  perfection,  or  to  have  been 
BO  chastened  that  the  rod  has  taken  all  our  wilfulness  out  of 
us  ?  Ah,  this  were  pride  indeed !  If  David  was  foolish, 
how  foolish  should  we  be  in  our  own  esteem  if  we  could  but 
Bee  ourselves  !  Look  back,  believer  :  think  of  your  doubting 
God  when  he  has  been  so  faithful  to  you  —  think  of  your 
foolish  outcry  of,  "Not  so,  my  Father,"  when  He  crossed  Hia 
hands  in  affliction  to  give  you  the  larger  blessing ;  think  of 
the  many  times  when  you  have  read  His  providences  in  the 
dark,  misinterpreted  His  dispensations,  and  groaned  out. 
"All  these  things  are  against  me,"  when  they  were  all  work- 
ing together  for  your  good  !  Think  how  often  you  have 
chosen  sin  because  of  its  pleasure,  when,  indeed,  that  pleas- 
ure was  a  root  of  bitterness  to  you  I  Surely  if  wo  know  our 
own  heart  we  must  plead  guilty  to  the  indictment  of  a  sinful 
folly ;  and,  conscious  of  this  "  foolishness,"  we  must  make 
David's  consequent  resolve  QW  own  —  "Thou  ihalt  guid^  m4 
vfith  Thy  counsel." 


July  29.  DAILY   HEADINGS.  211 

"Nevertheless,  I  am  continually  with  Thee."  —  P6.  Ixxiii.  23. 

V.EVERTIIELESS.  —  As  if,  Lotwithstanding  all  the 
/v>  foulishncsjs  and  ignorance  wbitU  David  had  just  been 
*^  confessing  to  God,  not  one  atom  the  less  was  it  tru« 
and  certain  that  David  was  saved  and  accepted,  and  that  the 
blessing  of  being  constantly  in  God's  presence  was  undoubt- 
edly his.  Fully  conscious  of  his  own  lost  estate,  and  of  the 
decciifulness  and  vilcncss  of  his  nature,  yet,  by  a  glorious 
outburst  of  faith,  he  sings,  "Nevertheless,  I  am  continually 
with  Thee."  Believer,  you  are  forced  to  enter  into  Daniel's 
confession  and  acknowledgment ;  endeavor  in  like  spirit  to 
say,  "  Nevertheless,  since  I  belong  to  Christ  I  am  continu- 
ally with  God  ! "  By  this  is  meant  continually  upon  His 
mind;  He  is  always  thinking  of  me  for  my  good.  Continu- 
ally before  His  eye;  the  eye  of  the  Lord  never  sleepeth, 
but  is  perpetually  watching  over  my  welfare. "  Continually 
in  His  hand,  so  that  none  shall  be  able  to  pluck  me  thence. 
Continually  on  His  heart,  worn  there  as  a  memorial,  even  as 
the  high  priest  bore  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes  upon  his 
heart  forever.  Thou  always  thinkest  of  me,  0  God.  The 
bowels  of  Thy  love  continually  yearn  towards  me.  Thou 
art  always  making  providence  work  for  my  good.  Thou  hast 
set  me  as  a  signet  upon  Thine  arm ;  Thy  love  is  strong  as 
death  ;  many  waters  cannot  quench  it,  neither  can  the  floods 
drown  it.  Surprising  grace  !  Thou  seest  me  in  Christ,  and, 
though  in  myself  abhorred,  Thou  beholdest  me  as  wearing 
Christ's  garments,  and  washed  in  His  blood,  and  thus  I  stand 
accepted  in  Thy  presence.  I  am  thus  continually  in  Th^ 
favor  —  "continually  with  Thee."  Here  is  comfort  for  the 
t/icd  and  afflicted  soul;  vexed  with  the  tempest  within  — 
look  at  the  calm  without.  *'■  Nevertheless''  —  O  say  it  in  thy 
heart,  and  take  the  peace  it  gives.  "  Nevertheless,  I  aia 
continually  with  Tbee." 


212  DAILY    BLADINGS.  Julj  30. 

"And  ivhen  lie  thought  thereon,  he  wept."  —  Mark  xiv.  72. 

I^T  has  been  thought  by  some,  that,  as  long  as  Peter 
Kik  lived,  the  fountain  of  his  tears  began  to  flow  when- 
®  ever  he  remembered  his  denying  his  Lord.  It  is  not 
unlikely  that  it  was  so,  for  his  sin  wai  very  great,  and  grace 
.n  him  had  afterwards  a  perfect  work.  This  same  experi- 
ence is  common  to  all  the  redeemed  family  according  to  the 
degree  in  which  the  Spirit  of  God  has  removed  the  natural 
heart  of  stone.  We,  like  Peter,  remember  our  boastful 
promise:  "  Though  all  men  shall  forsake  Thee,  yet  will  not 
I."  We  eat  our  own  words  with  the  bitter  herbs  of  repent- 
ance. When  we  think  of  what  we  vowed  we  would  be,  and 
of  what  we  have  been,  we  may  weep  whole  showers  of 
grief.  He  thought  on  his  denying  his  Lord,  the  place  in 
which  he  did  it,  the  little  cause  which  led  him  into  such 
heinous  sin,  the  oaths  and  blasphemies  with  which  he  sought 
to  confirm  his  falsehood,  and  the  dreadful  hardness  of  heart 
which  drove  him  to  do  so  again  and  yet  again.  Can  we, 
when  we  are  reminded  of  our  sins  and  their  exceeding  sin- 
fulness, remain  stolid  and  stubborn  ?  Will  we  not  make  our 
house  a  Bochim,  and  cry  unto  the  Lord  for  renewed  assur- 
ances of  pardoning  love  ?  May  we  never  take  a  dry-eyed 
look  at  sin,  lest  ero  long  we  have  a  tongue  parched  in  the 
flames  of  hell.  Peter  also  thought  upon  his  Master's  look  of 
love.  The  Lord  followed  up  the  cock's  warning  voice  with 
an  admonitory  look  of  sorrow,  pity,  and  love.  That  glance 
was  never  out  of  Peter's  mind  so  long  as  he  lived.  It  was 
far  more  effectual  than  ten  thousand  sermons  would  have 
been  without  the  Spirit.  The  penitent  apostle  would  be  sure 
to  weep  when  he  recollected  the  Saviour  s  full  forgiveness, 
which  restored  him  to  his  former  place.  To  think  that  we 
have  off'ended  so  kind  and  good  a  Lord  is  more  than  sufli- 
cient  reason  for  being  constant  weepers.  Lord,  smite  our 
rocky  hearts,  and  make  the  waters  flow. 


July  31.  DAILY    KEAmXGS.  213 


"  /  in  them."  —  John  xvii.  'I'd. 


VTF   such  be    tlie  union   which    subsists   between    our 
souls  antl  the  person  of  our  Lord,  how  deep  and  broad 


is  the  channel  of  our  communion !  This  is  no  narroTV 
pipe  through  which  a  thread-like  stream  may  wind  its  way ; 
it  is  a  channel  of  amazing  depth  and  breadth,  along  whose 
gloriotis  length  a  ponderous  volume  of  living  water  may  roll 
its  floods.  Behold  He  hath  set  before  us  an  open  door ;  let 
us  not  be  slow  to  enter.  This  city  of  communion  hath  many 
pearly  gates ;  every  several  gate  is  of  one  pearl,  and  each  gate 
is  throw^n  open  to  the  uttermost,  that  we  may  enter,  assured 
of  welcome.  If  there  were  but  one  small  loophole  through 
which  to  talk  with  Jesus,  it  would  be  a  high  privilege  to 
thrust  a  word  of  fellowship  through  the  narrow  door ;  how 
much  we  are  blessed  in  having  so  large  an  entrance ! 
Had  the  Lord  Jesus  been  far  away  from  us,  with  many  a 
stormy  sea  between,  we  should  have  longed  to  send  a  mes- 
sengci"  to  Him  to  carry  Him  our  loves,  and  bring  us  tidings 
from  His  Father's  house ;  but  see  His  kindness ;  He  has 
built  His  house  next  door  to  ours,  nay,  more,  He  takes  lodg- 
ing with  us,  and  taberna'Cles  in  poor  humble  hearts,  that  so 
He  may  have  perpetual  intercourse  with  us.  0,  how  foolish 
must  we  be,  if  we  do  not  live  in  habitual  communion  with 
Him !  When  the  road  is  long,  and  dangerous,  and  difficult, 
we  need  not  wonder  that  friends  seldom  meet  each  other ; 
but  when  they  live  together,  shall  Jonathan  forget  his  David  ? 
A  wife  may,  when  her  husband  is  upon  a  journey,  abide 
many  days  without  holding  converse  with  him,  but  she  could 
never  endure  to  be  separated  from  him  if  she  kncAV  him  to  be 
in  one  of  the  chambers  of  her  own  house.  Why,  believer, 
dopt  not  thou  sit  at  His  banquet  of  wine  ?  Seek  thy  Lord, 
for  He  is  npar  ;  embrace  Him,  for  He  is  thy  Brother.  Hold 
Him  fast,  for  He  is  thine  Husband ;  and  pres?  Him  to  tJiine 
heart,  for  He  is  of  thine  own  flesh. 


214  DAILY   READINGS.  AugUSt  1. 

"  Let  me  note  rjo  to  the  field,  and  glean  ears  of  corn."  —  Rutli  ii.  2. 

^^|OWNCx\ST  and  troubled  Christian,  come  and  glean  to. 
M^/?/  ^^y  '^"^  ^^^^  broad  field  of  promise.  Here  are  abun- 
^^'^  dance  of  precious  promises,  which  exactly  meet  thy 
wants.  Take  this  one  :  "  He  will  not  break  the  bruised  reed, 
nor  quench  the  smoking  flax."  Doth  not  that  suit  thy  case  ? 
A  reed,  helpless,  insignificant,  and  weak ;  a  bruised  reed, 
out  of  which  no  music  can  come  ;  weaker  than  weakness 
itself;  a  reed,  and  that  reed  bruised,  yet  He  will  not  break 
thee  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  will  restore  and  strengthen  thee. 
Thou  art  like  the  smoking  flax :  no  light,  no  warmth  can 
come  from  thee  ;  but  He  will  not  quench  thee  ;  He  will  blow 
with  His  sweet  breath  of  mercy  till  He  fans  thee  to  a  flame. 
Wouldst  thou  glean  another  ear  ?  "  Come  unto  Me,  all  ye 
that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 
What  soft  words  !  Thy  heart  is  tender,  and  the  Master 
knows  it,  and  therefore  He  speaketh  so  gently  to  thee.  Wilt 
thou  not  obey  Him,  and  come  to  Him  even  now  ?  Take  an- 
other ear  of  corn  :  "  Fear  not,  thou  worm  Jacob  ;  I  will  help 
thee,  saith  the  Lord  and  thy  Redeemer,  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel."  How  canst  thou  fear  with  such  a  wonderful  assur- 
ance as  this  ?  Thou  mayst  gather  ten  thousand  such  golden 
ears  as  these  :  "  I  have  blotted  out  thy  sins  like  a  cloud,  and 
like  a  thick  cloud  thy  transgressions."  Or  this  :  "  Though 
your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  wool ;  though  they 
be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  whiter  than  snow."  Or 
this  :  "  The  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say  come  ;  and  let  him  that 
is  athirst  come  ;  and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water 
of  life  freely."  Our  Master's  field  is  very  rich  ;  behold  the 
handfuls !  See,  there  they  lie  before  thee,  poor  timid  be- 
liever !  Gather  them  up,  make  them  thine  own,  for  Jesua 
bids  thee  take  them.  Be  not  afraid,  only  believe  !  Grasp 
these  sweet  promises,  thresh  them  out  by  meditation,  and 
feed  on  them  with  joy 


A-UgUSt  2.  DAILY    KEADING8.  213 

"  Who  worketh  all  things  after  the  cowisel  of  His  otcn  will." 

Ephesiuns  i.  12. 

^ /_ 

H^UR  belief  in  God's  •wisdom  supposes  and  necessitate! 

^'jA^I  that  He  has  a  settled  purpose  and  plan  in  the  work 
'''^'^  of  salvation.  What  would  creation  have  been  with- 
out His  design  ?  Is  there  a  fish  in  the  sea  or  a  fowl  in  the 
air  which  was  left  to  chance  for  its  formation  ?  Nay,  in  every 
bone,  joint,  and  muscle,  sinew,  gland,  and  blood-vessel,  you 
mark  the  presence  of  a  God  working  everything  according 
to  the  design  of  infinite  wisdom.  And  shall  G  od  be  present  in 
creation,  ruling  over  all,  and  not  in  grace  ?  Shall  the  new  cre- 
ation have  the  fickle  genius  of  free  will  to  preside  over  it  when 
divine  counsel  rules  the  old  creation?  Look  at  Providence  I 
"Who  knoweth  not  that  not  a  sparrjw  falleth  to  the  ground 
without  your  Father?  Even  the  hairs  of  your  head  are  all 
numbered.  God  weighs  the  mountains  of  our  grief  in  scales, 
and  the  hills  of  our  tribulation  in  balances.  And  shall  there 
be  a  God  in  providence,  and  not  in  grace  ?  Shall  the  shell  be 
ordained  by  wisdom,  and  the  kernel  be  left  to  blind  chance  ? 
No  ;  He  knows  the  end  from  the  beginning.  He  sees  in  its 
appointed  place,  not  merely  the  corner-stone  which  He  has 
laid  in  fair  colors,  in  the  blood  of  His  dear  Son,  but  He  be- 
holds in  their  ordained  position  each  of  the  chosen  stones 
taken  out  of  the  quarry  of  nature,  and  polished  by  His  grace  ; 
He  sees  the  whole  from  corner  to  cornice,  from  base  to  roof, 
from  foundation  to  pinnacle.  He  hath  in  His  mind  a  clear 
knowledge  of  every  stone  which  shall  be  laid  in  its  prepared 
Bpace,  and  how  vast  the  edifice  shall  be,  and  when  the  top- 
Btoue  shall  be  brought  forth  with  shoutings  of,  "  Grace  ! 
Grace  !  unto  it."  At  the  last  it  shall  be  clearly  seen  that  in 
every  chosen  vessel  of  mercy,  Jehovah  did  as  He  willed  with 
His  own  ;  and  that  in  every  part  of  the  work  of  grace  He 
accomplished  His  purpose,  and  glorified  His  own  name. 


2: 1 6  DAILY   READINGS.  AugTISt  3 

"  The  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof."  —  Revelation  xxi.  23. 

j^UIETLY  contemplate  the  Lamb  as  the  light  of  heaven. 
Light  in  Scripture  is  the  emblem  of  joy.  The  joy  of 
the  saints  in  heaven  is  comprised  in  this  :  Jesus  chose 
us,  loved  us,  bought  us,  cleansed  us,  robed  us,  kept  us,  glo- 
rified us  ;  we  are  here  entirely  through  the  Lord  Jesus.  Each 
one  of  these  thoughts  shall  be  to  them  like  a  cluster  of  the 
grapes  of  Eshcol.  Light  is  also  the  cause  of  beauty.  Nought 
of  beauty  is  left  when  light  is  gone.  Without  light  no  radi- 
ance flashes  from  the  sapphire,  no  peaceful  ray  proceedeth 
from  the  pearl ;  and  thus  all  the  beauty  of  the  saints  above 
comes  from  Jesus.  As  planets,  they  reflect  the  light  of  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness ;  they  live  as  beams  proceeding  from 
the  central  orb.  If  He  withdrew,  they  must  die  ;  if  His 
glory  were  veiled,  their  glory  must  expire.  Light  is  also  the 
emblem  of  knowledge.  In  heaven  our  knowledge  will  be  per- 
fect, but  the  Lord  Jesus  Himself  will  be  the  fountain  of  it. 
Dark  providences,  never  understood  before,  will  then  be 
clearly  seen ;  and  ail  that  puzzles  us  now  will  become  plain 
to  us  in  the  light  of  the  Lamb.  Oh,  what  unfoldings  there 
will  be,  and  what  glorifying  of  the  God  of  love  !  Light  also 
means  manifestation.  Light  manifests.  In  this  world  it  doth 
not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be.  God's  people  are  a  hidden 
people  ;  but  when  Christ  receives  His  people  into  heaven.  He 
will  touch  them  with  the  wand  of  His  own  love,  and  change 
them  into  the  image  of  His  manifested  glory.  They  were  poor 
and  wretched,  but  what  a  transformation  !  They  were  stained 
with  sin,  but  one  touch  of  His  finger,  and  they  are  bright  as 
the  sun  and  clear  as  crystal.  Oh,  what  a  manifestation  !  All 
this  proceeds  from  the  exalted  Lamb.  Whatever  there  may 
be  of  efl'ulgent  splendor,  Jesus  shall  be  the  centre  and  soul 
of  it  all.  Oh,  to  be  present  and  to  see  Him  in  His  own  light, 
the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords ! 


August  4.  DAILY    READINGS.  21 1 

"  The  people  that  do  know  their  God  shall  he  strong." —  Dan.  xi.  32. 

i. 

%^^':^^)VERY  believer  understands  tliat  to  know  God  is  the 
aK^'ib  ^•g'lcst  ^'^^  haai  form  of  knowledge ;  and  this  spir- 
^--'^  itual  knowledge  is  a  source  of  strength  to  the  Chris  • 
tian.  It  strengthens  his  faith.  Believers  are  constantly 
spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures  as  being  persons  who  are  enlight- 
ened and  taught  of  the  Lord  ;  they  are  said  to  "  have  an  unc- 
tion from  the  Holy  One,"  and  it  is  the  Spirit's  peculiar  office 
to  lead  thera  into  all  truth  ;  and  all  this  for  the  increase  and 
the  fostering  of  their  faith.  Knowledge  strengthens  love,  as 
well  as  faith.  Knowledge  opens  the  door,  and  then  through 
that  door  we  see  our  Saviour.  Or,  to  use  another  similitude, 
knowledge  paints  the  portrait  of  Jesus  ;  and  when  we  see 
that  portrait,  then  we  love  Him ;  we  cannot  love  a  Christ 
whom  w^e  do  not  know,  at  least  in  some  degree.  If  we  know 
but  little  of  the  excellences  of  Jesus,  what  He  has  done  for 
us,  and  what  He  is  doing  now,  we  cannot  love  Him  much  ; 
but  the  more  we  know  Him,  the  more  we  shall  love  Him. 
Knowledge  also  strengthens  hojpe.  How  can  we  hope  for  a 
thing  if  we  do  not  know  of  its  existence  ?  Hope  may  be  the 
telescope ;  but  till  we  receive  instruction,  our  ignorance 
stands  in  the  front  of  the  glass,  and  we  can  see  nothing  what- 
ever. Knowledge  removes  the  interposing  object ;  and  when 
we  look  through  the  bright  optic-glass  we  discern  the  glory 
to  be  revealed,  and  anticipate  it  with  joyous  confidence. 
Knowledge  supplies  us  reasons  for  patience.  How  shall  we 
have  patience  unless  we  know  something  of  the  sympathy  of 
Christ,  and  understand  the  good  which  is  to  come  out  of  the 
correction  which  our  heavenly  Father  sends  us  ?  Nor  is  there 
one  single  grace  of  the  Christian  which,  under  God,  will  not  be 
fostered  and  brought  to  perfection  by  holy  knowledge.  How 
important,  then,  is  it  that  we  should  grow  not  only  in  grace, 
but  in  the  "knowledge"  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ! 
19 


218  DAILY  eeaMn&s.  August  6. 

"  We  know  that  all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love 
Gof/."  — Romans  viii.  28. 

irp^PON  some  points  a  believer  is  absolutely  sure.  He 
1^  knows,  for  instance,  that  God  sits  in  the  stern-sheets 
of  the  vessel  when  it  rocks  most.  He  believes  that 
an  invisible  hand  is  always  on  the  world's  tiller,  and  that, 
wherever  providence  may  drift,  Jehovah  steers  it.  That 
reassuring  knowledge  prepares  him  for  everything.  He 
looks  over  the  raging  waters,  and  sees  the  spirit  of  Jesus 
treading  the  billows,  and  he  hears  a  voice  saying,  "  It  is  I ; 
be  not  afraid."  He  knows,  too,  that  God  is  always  wise, 
and,  knowing  this,  he  is  confident  that  there  can  be  no  acci- 
dents, no  mistakes ;  that  nothing  can  occur  which  ought  not 
to  arise.  He  can  say,  "  If  I  should  lose  all  I  have,  it  is 
better  that  I  should  lose  than  have,  if  God  so  wills :  the 
worst  calamity  is  the  wisest  and  the  kindest  thing  that  could 
befall  to  me  if  God  ordains  it."  "  We  know  that  all  things 
work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God."  The  Chris- 
tian does  not  merely  hold  this  as  a  theory,  but  he  knows  it 
as  a  matter  of  fact.  Everything  has  worked  for  good  as 
yet ;  the  poisonous  drugs,  mixed  in  fit  proportions,  have 
worked  tlie  cure  ;  the  sharp  cuts  of  the  lancet  have  cleansed 
out  the  proud  flesh,  and  facilitated  the  healing.  Every  event 
a,s  yet  has  worked  out  the  most  divinely  blessed  results ; 
and  so,  believing  that  God  rules  all,  that  He  governs  wisely, 
that  He  brings  good  out  of  evil,  the  believer's  heart  is  as- 
sured, and  he  is  enabled  calmly  to  meet  each  trial  as  it  comes. 
The  believer  can,  in  the  spirit  of  true  resignation,  pray, 
"  Send  me  what  thou  wilt,  my  God,  so  long  as  it  comes  from 
Thee  ;  never  came  there  an  ill  portion  from  Thy  table  to  anj 
oi  Thy  children." 

"Say  not,  my  soul,  'From  whence  can  God  relie.ve  my  care?' 
Remember  that  Omnipotence  has  servants  everywhere. 
His  method  is  sublime,  His  heart  profoundly  kind ; 
God  never  is  before  His  time,  and  never  is  behis'^  ~ 


A.ugust  6.  SAlLir  ii£ADlK08.  219 


"  Watchman,  tcliat  of  the  night?"  —  Isaiah  xxi.  11. 

J:4;IIAT  enemies  are  ahroad?  Errors  are  a  numerous 
v7i  horde,  and  new  ones  appear  every  hour :  against 
what  heresy  am  I  to  be  on  my  guard  r  Sins  creep 
from  their  lurking-places  when  the  darkness  reigns  :  I  must 
myself  mount  the  watch-tower,  and  watch  unto  prayer.  Our 
heavenly  Protector  foresees  all  the  attacks  which  are  about 
to  be  made  upon  us,  and,  when  as  yet  the  evil  designed  us 
is  but  in  the  desire  of  Satan,  He  prays  for  us  that  our  faith 
fail  not  when  we  are  sifted  as  wheat.  Continue,  0  gracious 
Watchman,  to  forewarn  us  of  our  foes,  and  for  Zion's  sake 
hold  not  Thy  peace. 

"  Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ?  "  What  weather  is  com- 
ing for  the  Church  ?  Are  the  clouds  lowering,  or  is  it  all 
clear  and  fair  overhead  ?  We  must  care  for  the  Church  of 
God  with  anxious  love  ;  and  now  that  Popery  and  infidelity 
are  both  threatening,  let  us  observe  the  signs  of  the  times, 
and  2>repare  for  conflict. 

"  Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ?  "  What  stars  are  visible  ? 
What  precious  promises  suit  our  present  case  ?  You  sound 
the  alarm  ;  give  us  the  consolation  also.  Christ,  the  pole- 
star,  is  ever  fixed  in  His  place,  and  all  the  stars  are  secure 
in  the  right  hand  of  their  Lord. 

But,  watchman,  when  comes  the  morning  f  The  Bride- 
groom tarries.  Are  there  no  signs  of  His  coming  forth  aa 
the  Sun  of  llighteousness  ?  Has  not  the  morning  star  arisen 
as  the  pledge  of  day  ?  When  will  the  day  dawn,  and  the 
shadows  flee  away?  0  Jesus,  if  Thou  come  not  in  person 
to  thy  waiting  Church  this  day,  yet  come  in  Spirit  to  mj 
sighing  heart,  and  make  it  sing  for  joy. 

"Now  all  the  earth  is  bright  and  glad 
With  the  fresh  morn  ; 
But  all  my  heart  is  cold,  and  dark,  and  sad: 
Sun  of  tJie  soul,  let  me  behold  thy  dawn  ! 

Come,  Jesus,  Lord, 
*^  'Tuickly  come,  according  to  Thy  word." 


220  1 AJLY   fiEAJ)lNG8.  AugUSt  7, 

"  The  upright  love  Thee."  —  Canticles  i.  4. 

pfcjj^^ELIEVERS  love  Jesus  with  a  deeper  affection  tlian 
^  3p;  tliey  dare  to  give  to  any  other  being.  They  would 
yiOms.  sooner  lose  father  and  mother  than  part  with  Christ. 
They  hold  all  earthly  comforts  with  a  loose  hand,  but  they 
carry  Him  fast  locked  in  their  bosoms.  They  voluntarily 
deny  themselves  for  His  sake,  but  they  are  not  tt  be  driven 
to  deny  Him.  It  is  scant  love  which  the  fire  of  persecution 
can  dry  up ;  the  true  believer's  love  is  a  deeper  stream  than 
this.  Men  have  labored  to  divide  the  faithful  from  their 
Master,  but  their  attempts  have  been  fruitless  in  every  age. 
Neither  crowns  of  honor,  nor  frowns  of  anger,  have  untied 
this  more  than  gprdian  knot.  This  is  no  every-day  attach- 
ment which  the  world's  oower  may  at  length  dissolve. 
Neither  man  nor  devil  has  found  a  key  which  opens  this 
lock.  Never  has  the  craft  of  Satan  been  more  at  fault  than 
when  he  has  exercised  it  in  seeking  to  rend  in  sunder  this 
union  of  two  divinely  welded  hearts.  It  is  written,  and 
nothing  can  blot  out  the  sentence,  "  The  upright  love  Thee.'" 
The  intensity  of  the  love  of  the  upright,  however,  is  not  so 
much  to  be  judged  by  what  it  appears  as  by  what  the  upright 
long  for.  It  is  our  daily  lament  that  we  cannot  love  enough. 
Would  that  our  hearts  were  capable  •  of  holding  more  and 
reaching  farther.  Like  Samuel  Rutherford,  we  sigh  and 
cry,  "  0  for  as  much  love  as  would  go  round  about  the 
earth,  and  over  heaven  —  yea,  the  heaven  of  heavens,  and 
ten  thousand  worlds  —  that  I  might  let  all  out  upon  fair, 
fair,  only  fair  Christ "  !  Alas  !  our  longest  reach  is  but  a 
span  of  love,  and  our  affection  is  but  as  a  drop  of  a  bucket, 
compared  with  His  deserts.  Measure  our  love  by  our  inten- 
tions, and  it  is  high  indeed  ;  'tis  thus,  we  trust,  our  Lord 
doth  judge  of  it.  0  that  ws  could  give  all  the  love  in  all 
hearts  in  one  great  mass,  a  gathering  together  of  all  loves 
to  Him  who  is  altogether  lovely  ! 


Augusts  VAUy    READINGS.  22l 

"  They  weave  the  spider^s  web."  —  Isaiah  lix.  o. 

^^i^EK  the  spider's  web,  and  behold  in  it  a  most  sugges- 
tive picture  of  the  hypocrite's  religion. '  It  is  mean' 
to  catch  his  prey :  the  spider  fattens  himself  on  flies, 
and  the  Pharisee  has  his  reward.  Foolish  persons  are  easily 
entrapped  by  the  loud  professions  of  pretenders,  and  even 
the  more  judicious  cannot  always  escape.  Philip  baptizeu 
Simon  Magus,  whose  guileful  declaration  of  faith  was  so  soon 
exploded  by  the  stern  rebuke  of  Peter.  Custom,  reputation, 
praise,  advancement,  and  other  flies,  are  the  small  game 
which  hypocrites  take  in  their  nets.  A  spider's  web  is  a 
marvel  of  skill :  look  at  it,  and  admire  the  cunning  hunter's 
wiles.  Is  not  a  deceiver's  religion  equally  wonderful  ?  How 
does  he  make  so  barefaced  a  lie  appear  to  be  a  truth  ?  How 
can  he  make  his  tinsel  answer  so  well  the  purpose  of  gold  ? 
A  spiders  web  comes  all  from  the  creature's  own  bowels.  The 
bee  gathers  her  wax  from  flowers  ;  the  spider  sucks  no  flow- 
ers, and  yet  she  spins  out  her  material  to  any  length.  Even 
so  hypocrites  find  their  trust  and  hope  within  themselves ; 
their  anchor  was  forged  on  their  own  anvil,  and  their  cable 
twisted  by  their  own  hands.  They  lay  their  own  foundation, 
and  hew  out  the  pillars  of  their  own  house,  disdaining  to  be 
debtors  to  the  sovereign  grace  of  God.  But  a  spider's  web 
is  very  frail.  It  is  curiously  wrought,  but  not  enduringly 
manufactured.  It  is  no  match  for  the  servant's  broom,  or 
the  traveller's  staff".  The  hypocrite  needs  no  battery  of 
Armstrongs  to  blow  his  hope  to  pieces  :  a  mere  puff"  of  wind 
will  do  it.  Hypocritical  cobwebs  will  soon  come  down  when 
the  besom  of  destruction  begins  its  purifying  work.  Which 
reminds  us  of  one  more  thought,  viz.,  that  such  cobwebs  are 
not  to  be  endured  in  the  Lorr''s  house:  He  will  sec  to  it  that 
they  and  those  who  spin  them  shall  be  destroyed  forever. 
0  my  soul,  be  thov  resting  on  something  better  Jhau  a  sjji 
tier's  web.  Be  the  Lord  Jesus  thine  eternal  hiding-place 
19  • 


2^2  £)AiLt   KEADINGS.  AugUSt  d 

"  Tlie  city  hath  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon,  to  shine  in 
it."  —  Revelation  xxi.  23. 

j^ONDEE,  in  tlie  bettev  world,  the  inhabitants  are  inde- 
pendent of  all  creature  comforts.  They  have  no  need 
of  raiment;  their  -white  robes  never  wear  out,  neither 
shall  they  ever  be  defiled.  They  need  no  medicine 
to  heal  diseases,  "  for  the  inhabitant  shall  not  say,  I  am  sick." 
They  need  no  sleep  to  recruit  their  frames  —  they  rest  not 
day  nor  night,  but  unwcariedly  praise  Him  in  His  temple. 
They  need  no  social  relationship  to  minister  comfort,  and 
whatever  happiness  they  may  derive  from  association  with 
their  fellows,  is  not  essential  to  their  bliss,  for  their  Lord's 
society  is  enough  for  their  largest  desires.  They  need  no 
teachers  there ;  they  doubtless  commune  with  one  another 
concerning  the  things  of  God,  but  they  do  not  require  this  by 
way  of  instruction ;  they  shall  all  be  taught  of  the  Lord. 
Ours  are  the  alms  at  the  king's  gate,  but  they  feast  at  the 
table  itself.  Here  we  lean  upon  the  friendly  arm,  but  there 
they  lean  upon  their  Beloved,  and  upon  Him  alone.  Here 
we  must  have  the  help  of  our  companions,  but  there  they 
find  all  they  want  in  Christ  Jesus.  Here  we  look  to  the  meat 
which  perisheth,  and  to  the  raiment  which  decays  before  the 
moth,  but  there  they  find  everything  in  God.  "We  use  the 
bucket  to  fetch  us  water  from  the  well,  but  there  they  drink 
from  the  fountain  head,  and  put  their  lips  down  to  the  living 
water.  Here  the  angels  bring  us  blessings,  but  we  shall  want 
no  messengers  from  heaven  then.  They  shall  need  no  Gabri- 
els there  to  bring  their  love-notes  from  God,  for  there  they 
shall  see  Him  face  to  face.  Oh,  what  a  blessed  time  shall  that 
be,  when  we  shall  have  mounted  above  every  second  cause, 
and  shall  rest  upon  the  bare  arm  of  God  !  What  a  glorious 
hour  when  God,  and  not  His  creatures,  —  the  Lord,  and  not 
His  works,  —  shall  be  our  daily  joy!  Our  souls  shall  theu 
have  attained  the  perfection  of  bliss. 


illgUst  10.  bAttt  KfeAblNGS.  fi2S 

"  Christ,  who  is  our  life."  —  Colossians  iii.  4. 

I^AUL'S  marvellously  rich  expression  indicates,  that 
\'i  Christ  is  the  source  of  our  life.  "  You  hath  lie 
quickened,  who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins." 
That  same  voice  which  brought  Lazarus  out  of  the  tomb, 
raised  us  to  newness  of  life.  He  is  now  the  suhstaiice  of  our 
spiritual  life.  It  is  by  His  life  that  we  live  ;  He  is  in  us,  the 
hope  of  glory,  the  spring  of  our  actions,  the  central  thought 
which  moves  every  other  thought.  Christ  in  the  sustenance  of 
our  life.  What  can  the  Christian  feed  upon  but  Jesus'  flesh 
and  blood  ?  "  This  is  the  bread  which  coracth  down  from 
heaven,  that  a  man  may  eat  thereof,  and  not  die."  0  way- 
worn pilgrims  in  this  wilderness  of  sin,  you  never  get  a  mor- 
sel to  satisfy  the  hunger  of  your  spirits,  except  ye  find  it  in 
Him  !  Christ  is  the  solace  of  our  life.  All  our  true  joys  come 
from  Ilim  ;  and  in  times  of  trouble.  His  presence  is  our  con- 
solation. There  is  nothinf;  worth  livino;  for  but  Him  :  and 
His  loving-kindness  is  better  than  life  !  Christ  is  the  object 
of  our  life.  As  speeds  the  ship  towards  the  port,  so  hastes 
the  believer  towards  the  haven  of  his  Saviour's  bosom.  As 
flies  the  arrow  to  its  goal,  so  flics  the  Christian  towards  the 
perfecting  of  his  fellowship  with  Christ  Jesus.  As  the  sol- 
dier fights  for  his  captain,  and  is  crowned  in  his  captain's 
victory,  so  the  believer  contends  for  Christ,  and  gets  his  tri- 
umph out  of  the  triumphs  of  his  Master.  "  For  liim  to  live 
is  Christ."  Christ  is  the  exemplar  of  our  life.  Where  there 
is  the  same  life  within,  there  will,  there  must  be,  to  a  great 
extent,  the  same  developments  without ;  and  if  we  live  in  near 
fellowship  with  the  Lord  Jesus,  we  shall  grow  like  Him. 
We  shall  set  Him  before  us  as  our  Divine  copy,  and  we  shall 
Btek  to  tread  in  His  footsteps,  until  He  shall  become  the 
crown  of  our  life  in  glory.  Oh  !  how  safe,  how  honored,  hon 
happy  is  the  Christian,  since  Christ  is  our  life  ! 


224  DAiLY   READINGS  AugUSt  11. 

"  0  that  I  were  as  in  months  past ! "  —  Job  xxix.  2. 

JI^UMBERS  of  Christians  can  view  the  past  with  pleas- 
^  lire,  but  regard  the  present  with  dissatisfaction ; 
^  they  look  back  upon  the  days  which  they  have  passed 
in  communing  with  the  Lord,  as  being  the  sweetest  and  the 
best  they  have  ever  known ;  but  as  to  the  present,  it  is  clad 
in  a  sable  garb  of  gloom  and  dreariness.  Once  they  lived 
near  to  Jesus,  but  now  they  feel  that  they  have  wandered 
from  Him,  and  they  say,  "  0  that  I  were  as  in  months  past !" 
They  complain  that  they  have  lost  their  evidences,  or  that 
they  have  not  present  peace  of  mind,  or  that  they  have  no 
enjoyment  in  the  means  of  grace,  or  that  conscience  is  not 
so  tender,  or  that  they  have  not  so  much  zeal  for  God's  glory. 
The  causes  of  this  mournful  state  of  things  are  manifold.  It 
may  arise  through  a  comparative  neglect  of  grayer,  for  a 
neglected  closet  is  the  beginning  of  all  spiritual  decline.  Or 
it  may  be  the  result  of  idolatry.  The  heart  has  been  occupied 
with  something  else,  more  than  with  God  ;  the  aifections 
have  been  set  on  the  things  of  earth,  instead  of  the  things  of 
heaven.  A  jealous  God  will  not  be  content  with  a  divided 
heart ;  He  must  be  loved  first  and  best.  He  will  withdraw 
the  sunshine  of  his  presence  from  a  cold,  wandering  heart. 
Or  the  cause  may  be  found  in  self-confidence  and  self-right- 
eousness. Pride  is  busy  in  the  heart,  and  self  is  exalted  in- 
stead of  lying  low  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  Christian,  if  you 
are  not  now  as  you  "were  in  months  past,"  do  not  rest  sat- 
isfied with  wishing  for  a  return  of  former  happiness,  but  go 
at  once  to  seek  your  Maker,  and  tell  Him  your  sad  state. 
Ask  His  grace  and  strength  to  help  you  to  walk  more  closely 
\>ith  Him  ;  humble  yourself  before  Him,  and  He  will  lift  you 
up,  and  give  you  yet  again  to  enjoy  the  light  of  His  coun- 
tenance. Do  not  sit  down  to  sigh  and  lament;  while  the 
beloved  Physician  lives  there  is  hope ;  nay,  there  is  a  cer- 
tainty of  recovery  for  the  worst  cases. 


August  12.  DAILY   HEADINGS.  225 

"  The  Lord  reigneth,  let  the  earth  rejoice."  —  Psalm  xcvii.  1. 

^(S^AUSES  for  disquietude  tliere  arc  none  so  long  as 
^^^  this  blessed  sentence  is  true.  On  earth  the  Lord's 
power  as  readily  controls  the  rage  of  the  wicked  as 
the  rage  of  the  sea ;  His  love  as  easily  refreshes  the  poor 
with  mercy  as  the  earth  with  showers.  Majesty  gleams  in 
flaates  of  fire  amid  the  tempest's  horrors,  and  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  is  seen  in  its  grandeur  in  the  fall  of  empires,  and 
the  crash  of  thrones.  In  all  our  conflicts  and  tribulations, 
we  may  behold  the  hand  of  the  divine  King. 

"  God  is  God  :  He  sees  and  hears 
All  our  troubles,  all  our  tears. 
Soul,  forget  not,  'mid  thy  pains, 
God  o'er  all  forever  reigns." 

In  hell,  evil  spirits  own,  with  misery,  His  undoubted  su- 
premacy. When  permitted  to  roam  abroad,  it  is  with  a  chain 
at  their  heel ;  the  bit  is  in  the  mouth  of  behemoth,  and  the 
hook  in  the  jaws  of  leviathan.  Death's  darts  are  under  the 
Lord's  lock,  and  the  grave's  prisons  have  divine  power  as 
their  warder.  The  terrible  vengeance  of  the  Judge  of  all 
the  earth  makes  fiends  cower  down  and  tremble,  even  as 
dogs  in  the  kennel  fear  the  hunter's  whip. 

"  Fear  not  death,  nor  Satan's  thrusts, 
God  defends  who  in  Him  trusts  ; 
Soul,  remember,  in  thy  pains, 
God  o'er  all  forever  reigns." 

In  heaven,  none  doubt  the  sovereignty  of  the  King  Eternal, 
but  all  fall  on  their  faces  to  do  Him  homage.  Angels  are 
His  courtiers,  the  redeemed  His  favorites,  aud  all  delight 
to  serve  Him  day  and  night.  May  we  soon  reach  the  cit/ 
of  the  great  King. 

"  For  this  life's  long  night  of  sadness 
He  will  give  us  peace  and  gladness. 
Soul,  remember,  in  thy  pains, 
Ood  o'er  all  forerer  reigns." 


226  Daily  READiNfis.  August  13. 

'•  The  cedars  of  Lebanon  wJiicJi  He  liatli  planted." —  Psalm  civ.  16. 

^PJEBANOiSrS  cedars  are  emblematic  of  the  Christian, 
5|)/  in  that  they  owe  their  -planting  entirely  to  the  Lord. 
This  is  quite  true  of  every  child  of  Grod.  He  is  not 
man-planted,  nor  self-planted,  but  God-planted.  The  mys- 
terious hand  of  the  divine  Spirit  dropped  the  living  seed  into 
a  heart  which  He  had  Himself  prepared  for  its  reception. 
Every  true  heir  of  heaven  owns  the  great  Husbandman  as 
his  planter.  Moreover,  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  are  not  de- 
pendent upon  man  for  their  watering ;  they  stand  on  the  lofty 
rock,  unmoistened  by  human  irrigation ;  and  yet  our  heavenly 
Father  supplieth  them.  Thus  it  is  with  the  Christian  who 
has  learned  to  live  by  faith.  He  is  independent  of  man, 
even  in  temporal  things  ;  for  his  continued  maintenance  he 
looks  to  the  Lord  his  God,  and  to  Him  alone.  The  dew  of 
heaven  is  his  portion,  and  the  Go<d  of  heaven  is  his  fountain. 
Again,  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  are  not  protected  by  any  mortal 
power.  They  owe  nothing  to  man  for  their  preservation  from 
stormy  wind  and  tempest.  They  are  God's  trees,  kept  and 
preserved  by  Him,  and  by  Him  alone.  It  is  precisely  the 
same  with  the  Christian.  He  is  not  a  hot-house  plant,  shel- 
tered from  temptation ;  he  stands  in  the  most  exposed  posi- 
tion ;  he  has  no  shelter,  no  protection,  except  this,  that  the 
broad  wings  of  the  eternal  God  always  cover  the  cedars  which 
He  Himself  has  planted.  Like  cedars,  believers  are  full  of 
sap,  having  vitality  enough  to  be  ever  green,  even  amid 
winter's  snows.  Lastly,  the  flourishing  and  majestic  condi- 
tion of  the  cedar  is  to  the  praise  of  God  only.  The  Lord, 
even  the  Lord  alone,  hath  been  everything  unto  the  cedars, 
and,  therefore,  David  very  sweetly  puts  it  in  one  of  the 
psalms,  "  Praise  ye  the  Lord,  fruitful  trees  and  all  cedars." 
In  the  believer  there  is  nothing  that  can  magnify  man ;  Ha 
is  planted,  nourished,  and  protected  by  the  Lord's  own  hand 
and  to  Him  let  all  the  glory  be  ascribed. 


August  14.  l>AtLt    READINGS.  227 

"  TIiou,  Lord,  hast  made  me  glad  through  TJiy  work."  —  Ps.  xcii.  4. 

•C5?'jjj0  you  believe  that  your  sins  are  forgiven,  and  that 
Uu^  Christ  has  made  a  full  atonement  for  them  ?  Then 
what  a  joyful  Christian  you  ought  to  he  1  How  you 
should  live  above  the  common  trials  and  troubles  of  the 
world  !  Since  siu  is  forgiven,  can  it  matter  what  happens  to 
you  now?  Luther  said,  "  Smite,  Lord,  smite,  for  my  sin  is 
forgiven  ;  if  Thou  hast  but  forgiven  me,  smite  as  hard  as 
Thou  wilt ; "  and  in  a  similar  spirit  you  may  say,  "  Send 
sickness,  poverty,  losses,  crosses,  persecution,  what  Thou 
wilt,  Thou  hast  forgiven  me,  and  my  soul  is  glad.  Christian, 
if  thou  art  thus  saved,  whilst  thou  art  glad,  be  grateful  and 
loving.  Cling  to  that  cross  which  took  thy  sin  away ;  serve 
thou  Him  who  served  thee.  "  I  beseech  you,  therefore,  by 
the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living 
sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God,  which  is  your  reason- 
able service."  Let  not  your  zeal  evaporate  in  some  little 
ebullition  of  song.  Show  your  love  in  expressive  tokens. 
Love  the  brethren  of  Him  who  loved  you.  If  there  be  a 
Mephibosheth  anywhere  who  is  lame  or  halt,  help  him  for 
Jonathan's  sake.  If  there  be  a  poor  tried  believer,  weep 
with  him,  and  bear  his  cross  for  the  sake  of  Him  who  wept 
for  thee  and  carried  thy  sins.  Since  thou  art  thus  forgiven 
freely  for  Christ's  sake,  go  and  tell  to  others  the  joyful  news 
of  pardoning  mercy.  Be  not  contented  with  this  unspeakable 
blessing  for  thyself  alone,  but  publish  abroad  the  story  of  the 
cross.  Holy  gladness  and  holy  boldness  will  make  you  a 
good  preacher,  and  all  the  world  will  be  a  pulpit  for  you  to 
preach  in.  Cheerful  holiness  is  the  most  forcible  of  ser- 
mons, but  the  Lord  must  give  it  you.  Seek  it  this  morning 
before  you  go  into  the  world.  When  it  is  the  Lord's  work 
in  which  we  rejoice,  we  need  not  be  afraid  of  being  too 
glad. 


228  Daily  readings.  August  15 

"  Isaac  went  out  to  meditate  in  thejield  at  the  eventide." 
Genesis  xxiv.  63. 

^C^S^EllY  admirable  was  his  occupation.  If  those  who  spend 
MMy^  so  many  hours  in  idle  company,  light  reading,  and 
^^^^''~"  useless  pastimes,  could  learn  wisdom,  they  would  find 
more  profitable  society  and  more  interesting  engagemento  in 
meditation  than  in  the  vanities  which  now  have  such  charms 
for  them.  We  should  all  know  more,  live  nearer  to  God,  and 
grow  in  grace,  if  we  were  more  alone.  Meditation  chews  the 
cud  and  extracts  the  real  nutriment  from  the  mental  food 
gathered  elsewhere.  When  Jesus  is  the  theme,  meditation  is 
sweet  indeed.  Isaac  found  Eebecca  while  engaged  in  private 
musings  ;  many  others  have  found  their  best  beloved  there. 

Very  admirable  was  the  choice  of  place.  In  the  field  we 
have  a  study  hung  round  with  texts  for  thought.  From  the 
cedar  to  the  hyssop,  from  the  soaring  eagle  down  to  the  chirp- 
ing grasshopper,  from  the  blue  expanse  of  heaven  to  a  drop 
of  dew,  all  things  are  full  of  teaching ;  and  when  the  eye  is 
divinely  opened,  that  teaching  flashes  upon  the  mind  far  more 
vividly  than  from  written  books.  Our  little  rooms  are  neither 
so  healthy,  so  suggestive,  so  agreeable,  nor  so  inspiring  as  the 
fields.  Let  us  count  nothing  common  or  unclean,  but  feel 
that  all  created  things  point  to  their  Maker,  and  the  field  will 
at  once  be  hallowed. 

Very  admirable  luas  the  season.  The  season  of  sunset,  as  it 
draws  a  veil  over  the  day,  befits  that  repose  of  the  soul  when 
earth-born  cares  yield  to  the  joys  of  heavenly  communion. 
The  glory  of  the  setting  sun  excites  our  wonder,  and  the  so- 
lemnity of  approaching  night  awakens  our  awe.  If  the  busi- 
ness of  this  day  will  permit  it,  it  will  be  well,  dear  reader,  if 
you  can  spare  an  hour  to  walk  in  the  field  at  eventide  ;  but  if 
not,  the  Lord  is  in  the  town,  too,  and  will  meet  with  thee  in 
thy  chamber  or  in  the  crowded  street.  Let  thy  heart  go  forth 
to  meet  Him. 


August  16.  DAILY    HEADINGS.  229 

"  Give  unto  the  Lord  the  glory  due  unto  His  name."  —  Ps.  xxix.  2. 

•  OD'S  glory  is  the  result  of  Ilis  nature  and  acts.  He 
is  glorious  in  Ilis  character,  for  there  is  such  a  store 
''^  of  everything  that  is  holy,  and  good,  and  lovely  in 
God,  that  He  must  be  glorious.  The  actions  which  flow  from 
Ilis  character  are  also  glorious  ;  but  while  lie  intends  that 
they  should  manifest  to  Ilis  creatures  His  goodness,  and  mer- 
cy, and  justice,  He  is  equally  concerned  that  the  glory  asso- 
ciated with  them  should  be  given  only  to  Himself.  Nor  is 
there  aught  in  ourselves  in  which  we  may  glory ;  for  who 
maketh  us  to  difi'er  from  another  ?  And  what  have  wc  that 
we  did  not  receive  from  the  God  of  all  grace  ?  Then  how 
careful  ought  we  to  be  to  walk  humbly  before  the  Lord  !  The 
moment  we  glorify  ourselves,  since  there  is  room  for  one  glory 
only  in  the  universe,  we  set  ourselves  up  as  rivals  to  the  Most 
High.  Shall  the  insect  of  an  hour  glorify  itself  against  the 
sun  which  warmed  it  into  life  ?  Shall  the  potsherd  exalt  itself 
above  the  man  who  fashioned  it  upon  the  wheel  ?  Shall  the 
dust  of  the  desert  strive  with  the  whirlwind  ?  or  the  drops 
of  the  ocean  struggle  with  the  tempest  ?  Give  unto  the  Lord, 
all  ye  righteous,  give  unto  the  Lord  glory  and  strength  ;  give 
unto  Him  the  honor  that  is  due  unto  His  name.  Yet  it  is, 
perhaps,  one  of  the  hardest  struggles  of  the  Christian  life  to 
learn  this  sentence  —  "Not  unto  us,  not  unto  us,  but  unto 
Thy  name  be  glory."  It  is  a  lesson  which  God  is  ever  leach- 
ing us,  and  teaching  us  sometimes  by  most  painful  discipline. 
Let  a  Christian  begin  to  boast,  "  I  can  do  all  things,"  with- 
out adding,  "  through  Christ  which  strengtheneth  me,"  and 
before  long  he  will  have  to  groan,  "  I  can  do  nothing,"  and 
bemoan  himself  in  the  dust.  AVhcn  we  do  anything  for  the 
Lord,  and  He  is  pleased  to  accept  of  our  doings,  let  us  lay 
our  3rown  at  His  feet,  and  exclaim,  "  Not  I,  but  the  grace 
of  God  which  was  with  me  !  " 
20 


230  Daily  headings.  August  17. 


"  The  mercy  of  Ood."  —  Psalm  lii.  6. 

pEDITATE  a  little  on  this  mercy  of  the  Lord.  It  is 
w^|;l^  tender  mercy.  With  gentle,  loving  touch,  He  hcaletb 
~V  the  broken  in  heart,  and  biudeth  up  their  wounds. 
He  is  as  gracious  in  the  manner  of  His  mercy  as  in  the  matter 
of  It.  It  is  great  mercy.  There  is  nothing  little  in  God  ;  His 
mercy  is  like  Himself — it  is  infinite.  You  cannot  measure 
it.  His  mercy  is  so  great  that  it  forgives  great  sins  to  great 
sinners,  after  great  lengths  of  time,  and  then  gives  great 
favors  and  great  privileges,  and  raises  us  up  to  great  enjoy- 
ments in  the  great  heaven  of  the  great  God.  It  is  undeserved 
mercy,  as  indeed  all  true  mercy  must  be,  for  deserved  mercy 
is  only  a  misnomer  for  justice.  There  was  no  right  on  the 
sinner's  part  to  the  kind  consideration  of  the  Most  High  ; 
had  the  rebel  been  doomed  at  once  to  eternal  fire,  he  would 
have  richly  merited  the  doom  ;  and  if  delivered  from  wrath, 
sovereign  love  alone  has  found  a  cause,  for  there  was  none 
in  the  sinner  himself.  It  is  rich  inercy.  Some  things  are 
great,  but  have  little  efficacy  in  them ;  but  this  mercy  is  a 
cordial  to  your  drooping  spirits  ;  a  golden  ointment  to  your 
bleeding  wounds  ;  a  heavenly  bandage  to  your  broken  bones  ; 
a  royal  chariot  for  your  weary  feet ;  a  bosom  of  love  for  your 
trembling  heart.  It  is  manifold  mercy.  As  Bunyan  says, 
"  All  the  flowers  in  God's  garden  are  double."  There  is  no 
single  mercy.  You  may  think  you  have  but  one  mercy,  but 
you  shall  find  it  to  be  a  whole  cluster  of  mercies.  It  is  ahound- 
ing  mercy.  Millions  have  received  it ;  yet  far  from  its  being 
exhausted,  it  is  as  fresh,  as  full,  and  as  free  as  ever.  It  is 
unfailiiiy  mercy.  It  will  never  leave  thee.  If  mercy  be  thy 
friend,  luercy  will  be  with  thee  in  temptation  to  keep  thee  from 
yielding  ;  with  thee  in  trouble,  to  pj-event  thee  from  sinking  ; 
with  tlioe  living,  to  be  the  light  and  life  of  thy  countenance  ; 
and  with  thee  dying,  to  be  the  joy  of  thy  soul  when  earthlji 
coiufort  is  ebbing  fast, 


\ugUSt  18.  DAILY    READINGS.  281 

"  Strangers  are  come  into  the  sanctuaries  of  the  Lord's  house." 
Jeremiah  li.  51. 

[^N  this  account  the  faces  of  the  Lord's  people  were 
^Ij  covered  \Yith  shame,  for  it  was  a  terrible  thing  that 

^"^^  men  should  intrude  into  the  Holy  Place  reserved  for 
the  priests  alone.  Everywhere  about  us  we  see  like  cause  for 
sorrow.  How  many  ungodly  men  arc  now  educating  with  the 
view  of  entering  into  the  ministry  !  What  a  crying  sin  is  that 
solemn  lie  by  which  our  whole  population  is  nominally  com- 
prehended in  a  National  Church  !  IIow  fearful  it  is  that  or- 
dinances should  be  pressed  upon  the  unconverted,  and  thac 
among  the  more  enlightened  churches  of  our  land  there  should 
be  such  laxity  of  discipline.  If  the  thousands  who  will  read 
this  portion  shall  all  take  this  matter  before  tlie  Lord  Jesus 
this  day,  lie  will  interfere  and  avert  the  evil  which  else  will 
come  upon  His  Church.  To  adulterate  the  Church  is  to  pol- 
lute a  well,  to  pour  water  upon  fire,  to  sow  a  fertile  field 
with  stones.  May  we  all  have  grace  to  maintain  in  our  own 
proper  way  the  purity  of  the  Church,  as  being  an  assembly 
of  believers,  and  not  a  nation,  an  unsaved  community  of 
unconverted  men. 

Our  zeal  must,  however,  begin  at  home.  Let  us  examine 
ourselves  as  to  our  right  to  eat  at  the  Lord's  table.  Let  us 
Bee  to  it  that  we  have  on  our  wedding  garment,  lest  we  our- 
selves be  intruders  in  the  Lord's  sanctuaries.  3Iany  are 
called,  but  few  are  chosen ;  the  way  is  narrow,  and  the  gate 
is  strait.  0  for  grace  to  come  to  Jesus  aright,  with  the  faith 
of  God's  elect !  He  who  smote  Uzzah  for  touch  ingthe  ark 
is  very  jealous  of  His  two  ordinances ;  as  a  true  believer  I 
may  approach  them  freely ;  as  an  alien  I  must  not  touch 
them  lest  I  die.  Heart-searching  is  the  duty  of  all  who  are 
baptized  or  come  to  the  Lord's  table.  "Search  me,  0  God, 
gnd  know  my  way ;  try  me,  and  know  my  heart." 


232  DAILY    HEADINGS.  AugUSt  19 


"  He  shall  stand  and  feed  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord."  —  Micah  v.  4. 

fJ^^^HMST'S  reign  in  His  Church  is  that  of  a  shepherd. 
\i  4^jl  king.  He  has  supremacy,  but  it  is  the  superiority 
^^•^^^  of  a  wise  and  tender  shepherd  over  his  needy  an  i 
!:)vi-ng  flock  ;  He  commands  and  recei-es  obedience,  but  it  is 
the  willing  obedience  of  the  well-cared-for  sheep,  rendered 
joyfully  to  their  beloved  Shepherd,  whose  voice  they  know 
so  well.  He  rules  by  the  force  of  love  and  the  energy  of 
goodness. — His  reign  is  practical  in  its  character.  It  is  said, 
"  He  shall  stand  and  feed."  The  great  Head  of  the  Church 
is  actively  engaged  in  providing  for  His  people.  He  does 
not  sit  down  upon  the  throne  in  empty  state,  or  hold  a  scep- 
tre without  wielding  it  in  government.  No  ;  He  stands  and 
feeds.  The  expression  "  feed,"  in  the  original,  is  like  ac 
analogous  one  in  the  Greek,  which  means  to  shepherdize,  to 
do  every  thing  expected  of  a  shepherd  ;  to  guide,  to  watch,  to 
preserve,  to  restore,  to  tend,  as  well  as  to  feed.  — His  reigu 
is  continual  in  its  duration.  It  is  said,  "^e  shall  stand  and 
feed ; "  not,  "  He  shall  feed  now  and  then,  and  leave  His 
position  ;  "  not,  "  He  shall  one  day  grant  a  revival,  and  then 
next  day  leave  His  Church  to  barrenness."  His  eyes  never 
slumber,  and  His  hands  never  rest ;  His  heart  never  ceases 
to  beat  with  love,  and  His  shoulders  are  never  weary  of  car- 
rying His  people's  burdens.  —  His  reign  is  effectually  power- 
ful in  its  action;  "He  shall  feed  in  the  strength  of  Jeho- 
vah." Wherever  Christ  is,  there  is  God;  and  whatever 
Christ  does  is  ihe  act  of  the  Most  High.  Oh  !  it  is  a  joyful 
truth  to  consider  that  He  who  stands  to-day  representing 
the  interests  of  His  people  is  very  God  of  very  God,  to 
ttliom  every  knee  shall  bow.  Happy  are  we  who  belong  to 
such  a  shepherd,  whose  humanity  communes  with  us,  and 
whose  divinity  protects  us.  Let  us  worship  and  bow  down 
before  Him  as  the  people  of  His  pasture. 


August  20.  DAILY    READINGS.  233 

"  'Hie  sweet  psalmist  of  Isra<l"  —  2  Samuel  xxlii.  1. 

^|!'"MONG  all  the  saints  whose  lives  are  recorded  in  Holy 
M/li^  Writ,  David  possesses  an  experience  of  the  nio.st 
mkAc*s\  gtriking,  varied,  and  instructive  character.  In  his 
history,  we  meet  with  trials  and  temptations  not  to  be  dis- 
covered, as  a  whole,  in  other  saiuts  of  ancient  times,  and 
hence  he  is  all  the  more  suggestive  a  type  of  our  Lord. 
David  knew  the  trials  of  all  ranks  and  conditions  of  men. 
Kings  have  their  troubles,  and  David  wore  a  crown  :  the 
peasant  has  his  cares,  and  David  handled  a  shepherd's  crook  : 
the  wanderer  has  many  hardships,  and  David  abode  in  the 
caves  of  Engedi :  the  captain  has  his  difficulties,  and  David 
found  the  sons  of  Zeruiah  too  hard  for  him.  The  psalmist 
was  also  tried  in  his  friends ;  his  counsellor  Ahithophel  for- 
sook him.  "  He  that  eateth  bread  with  me,  hath  lifted  up 
his  heel  against  me."  His  worst  foes  were  they  of  his  own 
household :  his  children  were  his  greatest  affliction.  The 
temptations  of  poverty  and  wealth,  of  honor  and  reproach, 
of  health  and  weakness,  all  tried  their  power  upon  him.  He 
had  temptations  from  without  to  disturb  his  peace,  and  from 
within  to  mar  his  joy.  David  no  sooner  escaped  from  one 
trial  than  he  fell  into  another  ;  no  sooner  emerged  from  one 
season  of  despondency  and  alarm,  than  he  was  again  brought 
into  the  lowest  depths,  and  all  God's  waves  and  billows  rolled 
over  him.  It  is  probably  from  this  cause  that  David's  psalms 
are  so  universally  the  delight  of  experienced  Christians. 
Whatever  our  frame  of  mind,  whether  ecstasy  or  depression, 
David  has  exactly  described  our  emotions.  He  was  an  able 
master  of  the  human  heart,  because  he  had  been  tutored  in  the 
best  of  all  schools  —  the  school  of  hcart-fclt,  personal  experi- 
ence. As  we  are  instructed  in  the  same  school,  as  we  grow  ma- 
tured in  grace  and  in  years,  we  increasingly  appreciate  David's 
psalms,  and  find  them  to  be  "green  pastures."  My  soul,  let 
David's  experience  cheer  aud  counsel  thee  this  day. 
20* 


234  DAILY    HEADINGS.  AugUst  21. 


"^e  that  wutereth  shall  be  watered  also  himself." —  Prov.  xi.  25. 

^%|\^jE  are  here  taught  the  great  lesson,  that  to  get,  wa 
W^W/i  ^^^^^  S^^'^  5  ^^^*  *°  accumulate,  we  must  scatter ; 
■*"-'^  that  to  make  ourselves  happy,  we  must  make  othera 
happy ;  and  that  in  order  to  become  spiritually  vigorous, 
we  must  seek  the  spiritual  good  of  others.  In  watering 
others,  we  are  ourselves  watered.  How?  Our  efforts  to  be 
useful  bring  out  our  powers  for  usefulness.  We  have  latent 
talents  and  dormant  faculties,  which  are  brought  to  light  by 
exercise.  Our  strength  for  labor  is  hidden  even  from  our- 
selves, until  we  venture  forth  to  fight  the  Lord's  battles,  or 
to  climb  the  caountains  of  difficulty.  We  do  not  know  what 
tender  sympathies  we  possess,  until  we  try  to  dry  the  widow's 
tears,  and  soothe  the  orphan's  grief.  We  often  find,  in  at- 
tempting to  teach  others,  that  we  gain  instruction  for  our- 
selves. Oh,  what  gracious  lessons  some  of  us  have  learned  at 
sick  beds  !  We  went  to  teach  the  Scriptures ;  we  came  away 
blushing  that  we  knew  so  little  of  them.  In  our  converse 
with  poor  saints,  we  are  taught  the  way  of  God  more  per- 
fectly for  ourselves,  and  get  a  deeper  insight  into  divine 
truth.  So  that  watering  others  makes  us  humble.  We  dis- 
cover how  much  grace  there  is  where  we  had  not  looked  for 
it,  and  how  much  the  poor  saint  may  outstrip  us  in  knowl- 
edge. Our  own  comfort  is  also  increased  by  our  working  for 
others.  We  endeavor  to  cheer  them,  and  the  consolation 
gladdens  our  own  heart.  Like  the  two  men  in  the  snow : 
one  chafed  the  other's  limbs  to  keep  him  from  dying,  and  ia 
BO  doing  kept  his  own  blood  in  circulation,  and  saved  hia 
own  life.  The  poor  widow  of  Sarepta  gave  from  her  scanty 
Btore  a  supply  for  the  prophet's  wants,  and  from  that  day 
she  never  again  knew  what  want  was.  Give,  then,  and  it 
shall  be  given  uuto  you,  good  measure,  pressed  iQwn,  and 
running  over? 


August  22.  DAILY    KFiDINGS.  235 

"  I  charge  you,  0  dauijUers  ofJenisalem,  if  ye  find  my  beloved,  that 
ye  tell  Iliin  that  I  am  sick  <f  love."  —  Solomon's  Song  v.  8. 

i)UCII  is  the  language  of  the  believer  panting  after 
r|)  present  fellowship  with  Jesus  :    he  is  sick  for  hia 
Lord.     Gracious  souls  are  never  perfectly  at  case 
except  they  are  in  a  state  of  nearness  to  Christ ;  for  when 
they  are  away  from  Him  they  lose  their  peace.     The  nearer 
to   Him,   the   nearer  to  the  perfect  calm  of  heaven ;    the 
nearer  to  Him,  the  fuller  the  heart  is,  not  only  of  peace,  but 
of  life,  and  vigor,  and  joy,  for  these  all  depend  on  constant 
intercourse  with  Jesus.     What  the  sun  is  to  the  day,  what 
the  moon  is  to  the  night,  what  the  dew  is  to  the  flower,  such 
is  Jesus  Christ  to  us.     What  bread  is  to  the  hungry,  cloth- 
ing to  the  naked,  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  to  the  traveller 
in  a  weary  land,  such  is  Jesus  Christ  to  us  ;  and  therefore, 
if  we  are  not  consciously  one  with  Him,  little  marvel  if  our 
spirit  cries  in  the  word  of  the  Song,  "  I  charge  you,  0  ye 
daughters  of  Jerusalem,  if  ye  find  my  beloved,  tell  Him  that 
I  am  sick  of  love."      This  earnest  longing  after  Jesus  has  a 
blessing  attending  it :  "  Blessed  are  they  that  do  hunger  and 
thirst  after  righteousness  ; "  and  therefore  supremely  blessed 
are  they  who  thirst  after  the  Righteous  One.     Blessed  is 
that  hunger,  since  it  comes  from  God.     If  I  may  not  have 
the  full-blown  blessedness  of  being  filled,  I  would  seek  the 
same  blessedness  in  its  sweet  bud-pining  in  emptiness  and 
eagerness  till  I  am  filled  with  Christ.     If  I  may  not  feed  on 
Jesus,  it  shall  be  next  door  to  heaven  to  hunger  and  thirst 
jifter  Him.    There  is  a  hallowedness  about  that  hunger,  since 
1  it  sparkles  among  the  beatitudes  of  our  Lord.     But  the 
blessing  involves  a  promise.     Such  hungry  ones  "  s/iaiZ  he 
filled"  with  what  they  are  desiring.    If  Christ  thus  causes  us 
to  long  after  Himself,  He  will  certainly  satisfy  those  long- 
iugs ;  and  when  Tie  does  come  to  us,  as  come  He  will,  o/i, 
hwv  iweei  it  will  he  I 


236  DAILY  KE.o)iNGS.  August  23. 

"  Tlie  voice  qftceepinr/  sliall  he  no  more  heard."  —  Isaiah  Ixv   .9. 

^-IIE  glorified  weep  no  more,  for  all  outward  causes  of 
<^h  0''i'^/  «''e  gone.  There  are  no  broken  friendships, 
nor  blighted  prospects,  in  heaven.  Poverty,  famine, 
peril,  persecution,  and  slander,  are  unknown  there.  No  pain 
distresses,  no  thought  of  death  or  bereavement  saddens. 
They  weep  no  more,  for  they  are  perfectly  sanctified.  No 
"evil  heart  of  unbelief"  prompts  them  to  depart  from  the 
living  God ;  they  are  without  fault  before  His  throne,  and 
are  fully  conformed  to  His  image.  Well  may  they  cease  to 
mourn  who  have  ceased  to  sin.  They  weep  no  more,  be- 
cause all  fear  of  change  is  past.  They  know  that  they  arc- 
eternally  secure.  Sin  is  shut  out,  and  they  are  shut  in.  They 
dwell  within  a  city  which  shall  never  be  stormed  ;  they  bask 
in  a  sun  which  shall  never  set ;  they  drink  of  a  river  which 
shall  never  dry ;  they  pluck  fruit  from  a  tree  which  shall 
never  wither.  Countless  cycles  may  revolve,  but  eternity 
shall  not  be  exhausted,  and  while  eternity  endures,  their  im- 
mortality and  blessedness  shall  co-exist  with  it.  They  are 
forever  with  the  Lord.  They  weep  no  more,  because  every 
desire  is  fulfilled.  They  cannot  wish  for  anything  which  they 
have  not  in  possession.  Eye  and  ear,  heart  and  hand,  judg- 
ment, imagination,  hope,  desire,  will,  all  the  faculties,  are 
completely  satisfied ;  and  imperfect  as  our  present  ideas  are 
of  the  things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love 
Him.  yet  we  know  enough,  by  the  revelation  of  the  Spirit, 
that  the  saints  above  are  supremely  blessed.  The  joy  of 
Christ,  which  is  an  infinite  fulness  of  delight,  is  in  tbem. 
They  bathe  themselves  in  the  bottomless,  shoreless  sea  of 
infinite  beatitude.  That  same  joyful  rest  remains  for  us.  It 
may  not  be  far  distant.  Ere  long  the  weeping  willow  shall 
be  exchanged  for  the  palm-branch  of  victory,  and  sorrow's 
dewdrops  will  be  transformed  into  the  pearls  of  everlasting 
bliss,     "Wherefore  comfort  one  another  with  these  words," 


Aucuat  24.  daily  headings.  237 


"  The  breaker  is  come  up  before  them."  —  Micah  ii.  13. 

^2^]?rNASMUCII  as  Jesus  has  gone  before  us,  tilings  re 
^|wJ  main  not  as  tlioy  would  have  been  had  lie  never 
y/^Khi}(  passed  that  way.  lie  has  conquered  every  foe  that 
obstructed  the  way.  Cheer  up  now,  thou  faint-hearted  war- 
rior.  Not  only  has  Christ  travelled  the  rond,  but  He  has 
slain  thine  enemies.  Dost  thou  dread  sin  ?  He  has  nailed 
it  to  His  cross.  Dost  thou  fear  death  ?  He  has  been  the 
death  of  Death.  Art  thou  afraid  of  hell  ?  He  has  barred  it 
against  the  advent  of  any  of  His  children  ;  they  shall  never 
see  the  gulf  of  perdition.  Whatever  foes  may  be  before  the 
Christian,  they  are  all  overcome.  There  are  lions,  but  their 
teeth  are  broken  ;  there  are  serpents,  but  their  fangs  are 
extracted  ;  there  are  rivers,  but  they  are  bridged  or  fordable; 
there  are  flames,  but  we  wear  that  matchless  garment  which 
renders  us  invulnerable  to  fire.  The  sword  that  has  been 
forged  against  us  is  already  blunted  ;  the  instruments  of  war 
which  the  enemy  is  preparing  have  already  lost  their  point. 
God  has  taken  away  in  the  person  of  Christ  all  the  power 
that  anything  can  have  to  hurt  us.  Well  then,  the  army  may 
safely  march  on,  and  you  may  go  joyously  along  your  jour- 
ney, for  all  your  enemies  are  conquered  beforehand.  AVhat 
shall  you  do  but  march  on  to  take  the  prey  ?  They  are 
beaten  ;  they  are  vanquished  ;  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  divide 
the  spoil.  You  shall,  it  is  true,  often  engage  in  combat; 
but  your  fight  shall  be  with  a  vanquished  foe.  His  head  ia 
broken  ;  he  may  attempt  to  injure  you,  but  his  strength  shall 
not  be  ouflScicnt  for  his  malicious  design.  Your  victory  shall 
D9  easy,  and  your  treasure  shall  be  beyond  all  count. 

"  Proclaim  aloud  the  Sa'"iour's  fame, 
Who  bears  the  Breaktf's  wondrous  name  ; 
Sweet  name  ;  and  it  becomes  Him  well, 
Who  breaks  down  earth,  sin,  death,  and  heU.'* 


238  LAiLY  heaMNGS.  August  25. 

"  His  fruit  was  siceet  to  my  taste."  —  Canticles  ii.  3. 


i^^if^AITH,  in  the  Scriptm*e,  is  spoken  of  under  the  em< 
J^  blem  of  all  the  senses.  It  is  sight.  "Look  unto  Me, 
and  be  ye  saved."  It  is  heai'ing.  "  Hear,  and  your  soul 
shall  live."  Faith  is  smelling.  "  All  thy  garments 
smell  of  myrrh,  and  aloes,  and  cassia  ;  "  "  Thy  name  is  ointr 
ment  poured  forth."  Faith  is  spiritual  touch.  By  this  faith 
the  woman  came  behind  and  touched  the  hem  of  Christ's 
garment,  and  by  this  we  handle  the  things  of  the  good  word 
of  life.  Faith  is  equally  the  spirit's  taste.  "  How  sweet  are 
Thy  words  to  my  taste  !  yea,  sweeter  than  honey  to  my  lips." 
"  Except  a  man  eat  my  flesh,"  saith  Christ,  "  and  drink  my 
blood,  there  is  no  life  in  him." 

This  "  taste  "  is  faith  in  one  of  its  highest  operations.  One 
•f  the  first  performances  of  faith  is  hearing.  We  hear  the 
voice  of  God,  not  with  the  outward  ear  alone,  but  with  the 
inward  ear ;  we  hear  it  as  God's  Word,  and  we  believe  it  to 
be  so  ;  that  is  the  "  hearing  "  of  faith.  Then  our  mind  looJc- 
eth  upon  the  truth  as  it  is  presented  to  us  ;  that  is  to  say,  we 
understand  it ;  we  perceive  its  meaning  ;  that  is  the  "  seeing" 
of  faith.  Next  we  discover  its  preciousness ;  we  begin  to 
admire  it,  and  find  how  fragrant  it  is ;  that  is  faith  in  its 
"  smeS."  Then  w^e  appropriate  the  mercies  which  are  pre- 
pared for  us  in  Christ ;  that  is  faith  in  its  "  touch."  Hence 
follow  the  enjoyments,  peace,  delight,  communion  ;  which 
are  faith  in  its  "  taste."  Any  one  of  these  acts  of  faith  in 
saving.  To  hear  Christ's  voice  as  the  sure  voice  of  God  in 
the  soul  will  save  us ;  but  that  which  gives  true  enjoyment 
is  the  aspect  of  faith  wherein  Christ,  by  holy  taste,  is  received 
into  us,  and  made,  by  inward  and  spiritual  apprehension  of 
His  sweetness  and  preciousness,  to  be  the  food  of  our  souls. 
It  is  then  we  sit  "  under  His  shadow  with  great  delight," 
and  find  His  fruit  sweet  to  our  taste. 


August  26.  DAILY    READINGS.  239 

"  lie  hath  commanded  Eis  covenant  forever ."  —  Psalm  cxi.  9. 


i 


o^TIE  Lord's  people  delight  in  the  covenaut  itself.     Il 
K*  is  au  unfailiii";  souvce  of  consolation  to  them  so  often 


as  the  Holy  Spirit  loads  them  into  its  banqueting- 
house,  and  waves  its  banner  of  love.  They  delight  to  con- 
template the  antiquity  of  that  covenant,  remembering  that 
before  the  day-star  knew  its  place,  or  planets  ran  their  round, 
the  interests  of  the  saints  were  made  secure  in  Christ  Jesus. 
It  is  peculiarly  pleasing  to  them  to  remember  the  sureness  of 
the  covenant,  while  meditating  upon  "  the  sure  mercies  of 
David."  The}'  delight  to  celebrate  it  as  "  signed,  and  scaled, 
and  ratified,  in  all  things  ordered  well."  It  often  makes 
their  hearts  dilate  with  joy  to  think  of  its  immutability,  as  a 
covenant  which  neither  time  nor  eternity,  life  nor  death, 
shall  ever  be  able  to  violate  —  a  covenant  as  old  as  eternity, 
and  as  everlasting  as  the  Rock  of  ages.  They  rejoice  also 
to  feast  upon  the  fulness  of  this  covenant,  for  they  see  in  it 
all  things  provided  for  them.  Grod  is  their  portion,  Christ 
their  companion,  the  Spirit  their  Comforter,  earth  their  lodge, 
and  heaven  their  home.  They  see  in  it  an  inheritance  re- 
served and  entailed  to  every  soul  possessing  an  interest  in 
its  ancient  and  eternal  deed  of  gift.  Their  eyes  sparkled 
when  they  saw  it  as  a  treasure-trove  in  the  Bible  ;  but,  oh, 
how  their  souls  were  gladdened  when  they  saw  in  the  last 
will  and  testament  of  their  divine  kinsman,  that  it  was  be- 
queathed to  them  !  More  especially  it  is  the  pleasure  of  God's 
people  to  contemplate  the  graciousness  of  this  covenant.  They 
see  that  the  law  was  made  void,  because  it  was  a  covenant  of 
works,  and  depended  upon  merit ;  but  this  they  perceive  to 
be  enduring,  because  grace  is  the  basis,  grace  the  condition, 
grace  the  strain,  grace  the  bulwark,  grace  the  foundation, 
grace  the  top-stone.  The  covenaut  is  a  treasury  of  wealth, 
a'grauaiy  of  food,  a  fountain  of  life,  a  storeJiouse  of  salva* 
tion,  a  charter  of  peace,  and  a  haven  of  joy. 


240  DAILY    READINGS.  AugUSt  21, 

"How  long  will  it  be  ere  they  believe  Me ?  "  —  Numbers  \iv.  11. 


^^|^(tSiTE.IVE,  ivith  all  diligence,  to  keep  out  that  monster  un- 
^^klij  hel'u'f.  It  so  dishonors  Christ,  that  He  will  withdraw 
^'^■^  His  visible  presence  if  we  insult  Him-by  indulging  it. 
It  is  true  it  is  a  weed  the  seeds  of  which  we  can  never  en- 
tirely extract  from  the  soil,  but  we  must  aim  at  its  root  with 
zeal  and  perseverance.  Among  hateful  things  it  is  the  most 
to  be  abhorred.  Its  injurious  nature  is  so  venomous  that  he 
that  exerciseth  it,  and  he  upon  whom  it  is  exercised,  are  both 
hurt  thereby.  lu  thy  case,  0  believer,  it  is  most  wicked,  for 
the  mercies  of  thy  Lord  in  the  past  increase  thy  guilt  in 
doubting  Him  now.  When  thou  dost  distrust  the  Lord  Jesus, 
He  may  well  cry  out,  "  Behold  I  am  pressed  under  you,  as  a 
cart  is  pressed  that  is  full  of  sheaves."  This  is  crowning  His 
head  with  thorns  of  the  sharpest  kiud.  It  is  very  cruel  for  a 
well-beloved  wife  to  mistrust  a  kind  and  faithful  husband. 
The  sin  is  needless,  foolish,  and  unwarranted.  Jesus  has 
never  given  the  slightest  ground  for  suspicion,  and  it  is  hard 
to  be  doubted  by  those  to  whom  our  conduct  is  uniformly  af- 
fectionate and  true.  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  the  Highest,  and 
has  unbounded  wealth  ;  it  is  shameful  to  doubt  Omnipotence 
and  distrust  all-sufficiency.  The  cattle  on  a  thousand  hilli 
will  suffice  for  our  most  hungry  feeding,  and  the  granaries  of 
heaven  are  not  likely  to  be  emptied  by  our  eating.  If  Christ 
were  only  a  cistern,  we  might  soon  exhaust  His  fulness ;  but 
who  can  drain  a  fountain  ?  Myriads  of  spirits  have  drawn 
their  supplies  from  Him,  and  not  one  of  them  has  murmured 
at  the  scantiness  of  His  resources.  Away,  then,  with  this 
I/ing  traitor  unbelief,  for  his  only  errand  is  to  cut  the  bonds 
of  communion  and  make  us  mourn  an  absent  Saviour.  Bun- 
yan  tolls  us  that  unbelief  has  "  as  many  lives  as  a  cat ;"  if  so, 
let  us  kill  one  life  now,  and  continue  the  work  till  the  whole 
nine  are  gone.  Down  with  thee,  thou  traitor;  my  heart 
tbhors  thee. 


August  28.  DAILY    HEADlKGd.  241 

"  Oil  for  the  ligJd." —  Exodus  xxv.  6. 

^I^Y^Y  soul,  how  much  thou  ncedcst  this!  for  th}'  lamp  will 
&^l<||  not  long  continue  to  burn  without  it.  Thy  snuff  will 
^^^r  smoke  and  become  an  oflence  if  light  be  gone,  and 
gone  it  will  be  if  oil  be  absent.  Thou  hast  no  oil  well  spring- 
ing up  in  thy  human  nature,  and  therefore  thou  must  go  to 
them  that  sell,  and  buy  for  thyself,  or,  like  the  fcolish  vir- 
gins, thou  wilt  have  to  cry,  "  My  lamp  is  gone  out."  Even  the 
consecrated  lamps  could  not  give  light  without  oil ;  though 
they  shone  in  the  tabernacle  they  needed  to  be  fed,  though 
no  rough  winds  blew  upon  them  they  required  to  be  trimmed, 
and  thy  need  is  equally  as  great.  Under  the  most  happy 
circumstances  thou  canst  not  give  light  for  another  hour 
unless  fresh  oil  of  grace  be  given  thee. 

It  was  not  every  oil  that  might  be  used  in  the  Lord's  ser- 
vice ;  neither  the  petroleum  which  exudes  so  plentifully  from 
the  earth,  nor  the  produce  of  fishes,  nor  that  extracted  from 
nuts,  would  be  accepted ;  one  oil  only  was  selected,  and  that 
the  best  olive  oil.  Pretended  grace  from  natural  goodness, 
fancied  grace  from  priestly  hands,  or  imaginary  grace  from 
outward  ceremonies,  will  never  serve  the  true  saint  of  God. 
He  knows  that  the  Lord  would  not  be  pleased  with  rivers  of 
euch  oil.  He  goes  to  the  olive-press  of  Gethsemane,  and 
draws  his  supplies  from  Him  who  was  crushed  therein.  The 
oil  of  gospel  grace  is  pure  and  free  from  lees  and  dregs,  and 
hence  the  light  which  is  fed  thereon  is  clear  and  bright.  Our 
churches  are  the  Saviour's  golden  candelabra,  and  if  they 
are  to  be  lights  in  this  dark  world,  they  must  have  much  holy 
oil.  Let  us  pray  for  ourselves,  our  ministers,  and  our 
churches,  that  they  may  never  lack  oil  for  the  light.  Truth, 
holiness,  joy,  knowledge,  love,  these  are  all  beams  of  the 
sacred  light ;  but  we  cannot  give  them  forth  unless  in  piivate 
we  receive  oil  from  God  the  Holy  Ghost. 
^1 


S42  DAILY   HEADINGS.  AugUst  i^. 

"Have  mtrcy  upon  me,  0  God."  —  Psalm  li.  1. 


^Jtl^HEN  Dr.  Carej  was  suffering  from  a  dangerous  ill- 
WxJ^^h  ness,  the  inquiry  was  made,  "  If  this  sickness  should 
■^^  prove  fatal,  what  passage  would  you  select  as  the 
text  for  your  funeral  sermon  ? "  He  replied,  "  0, 1  feel  that 
such  a  poor  sinful  creature  is  unworthj'  to  have  anything 
said  about  him ;  but,  if  a  funeral  sermon  must  be  preached, 
let  it  be  from  the  words,  '  Have  mercy  upon  me,  0  God, 
according  to  Thy  loving-kindness  ;  according  unto  the  mul- 
titude of  Thy  tender  mercies  blot  out  my  transgressions.' " 
In  the  same  spirit  of  humility,  he  directed  in  his  will  that 
the  following  inscription,  and  nothing  more,  should  be  cut 
on  his  gravestone  :  — 

William  Carey,  Boen  August  17th,  1761; 
Died  — . 

"  A  ivretched,  poor,  and  helpless  worm. 
On  Thy  kind  arms  I  fall." 

Only  on  the  footing  of  free  grace  can  the  most  experienced 
and  most  honored  of  the  saints  approach  their  God.  The 
best  of  men  are  conscious,  above  all  others,  that  they  are 
men  at  the  best.  Empty  boats  float  high,  but  heavily-laden 
vessels  are  low  in  the  water ;  mere  professors  can  boast,  but 
true  children  of  God  cry  for  mercy  upon  their  unprofitable- 
ness. We  have  need  that  the  Lord  should  have  mercy  upon 
our  good  works,  our  prayers,  our  preachings,  our  alms-giv- 
ings,  and  our  holiest  things.  The  blood  was  not  only  sprin- 
kled upon  the  door-posts  of  Israel's  dwelling-houses,  but 
upon  the  sanctuary,  the  mercy-seat,  and  the  altar,  because, 
as  sin  intrudes  into  our  holiest  things,  the  blood  of  Jesus  is 
needed  to  purify  them  from  defilement.  If  mercy  be  needed 
to  be  exercised  towards  our  duties,  what  shall  be  said  of  our 
«ins  ?  How  sweet  the  remembrance  that  inexhaustible  mercy 
is  waiting  to  be  gracious  to  us,  to  restore  our  backslidings, 
and  make  our  broken  bones  rejoice! 


August  30.  DAILY    READINGS.  24J 


"  Wait  on  the  Lord."  —  Psalm  xxvii.  14. 


^Jlfl'I^'T  may  seem  an  easy  thing  to  wait,  but  it  is  one  of  the 
i^'- lki>!  postures  which  a  Christian  soldier  learns  not  without 
y/^RKy  years  of  teaching.  Marching  and  quick-marching 
are  much  easier  to  God's  warriors  than  standing  still.  There 
are  hours  of  perplexity  when  the  most  willing  spirit,  anxiously 
desirous  to  serve  the  Lord,  knows  not  what  part  to  take. 
Then  what  shall  it  do  ?  Vex  itself  by  despair  ?  Fly  back 
in  cowardice,  turn  to  the  right  hand  in  fear,  or  rush  forward 
in  presumption  ?  No,  but  simply  wait.  Wait  in  prayer, 
however.  Call  upon  God,  and  spread  the  case  before  Ilini ; 
tell  Ilim  your  difficulty,  and  plead  His  promise  of  aij.  In 
dilemmas  between  one  duty  and  another,  it  is  sweet  to  be 
humble  as  a  child,  and  wait  with  simplicity  of  soul  upon  the 
Lord.  It  is  sure  to  be  well  with  us  when  we  feel  and  know 
our  own  folly,  and  are  heartily  willing  to  be  guided  by  the 
will  of  God.  But  ivait  in  faith.  Express  your  uustaggering 
confidence  in  Ilim  ;  for  unfaithful,  untrusting  waiting  is  but 
an  insult  to  the  Lord.  Believe  that  if  He  keep  you  tarrying 
even  till  midnight,  yet  He  will  come  at  the  right  time  ;  the 
vision  shall  come,  and  shall  not  tarry.  Wait  in  quiet  patience, 
not  rebelling  because  you  are  under  the  affliction,  but  bless- 
ing your  God  for  it.  Never  murmur  against  the  second 
cause,  as  the  children  of  Israel  did  against  Moses ;  never 
wish  you  could  go  back  to  the  world  again,  but  accept  the 
ease  as  it  is,  and  put  it  as  it  stands  simply  and  with  your  whole 
heart,  without  any  self-will,  into  the  hand  of  3'our  covenant 
God,  saying,  "  Now,  Lord,  not  my  will,  but  Thine  be  done. 
I  know  not  what  to  do  ;  I  am  brought  to  extremities ;  but  ] 
will  wait  until  Thou  shalt  cleave  the  floods,  or  drive  back 
Diy  Toes.  I  will  wait,  if  Thou  keep  me  many  a  day,  for  lay 
heart  is  fixed  upon  Thee  alone,  0  God,  and  my  spirit  wait*,  tb 
for  Thee  in  the  full  conviction  that  Thou  wilt  yet  be  my  j  >7 
and  my  salvation,  my  refuge  and  my  strong  tower." 


244  DAILY    EEADIKGS.  AugUSt  31 


"  On  viinc  arm  shall  tliey  trust."  —  Isai»h  li.  5. 

'^^N  seasons  of  severe  trial,  the  Christian  has  nothing 
';j|\  on  earth  that  he  can  trust  to,  and  is  therefore  com- 
^  pelled  to  cast  himself  on  his  God  alone.  When  his 
TGSscl  is  on  its  beam-ends,  and  no  human  deliverance  can 
avail,  he  must  simply  and  entirely  trust  himself  to  the  provi- 
dence and  care  of  God.  Happy  storm  that  wrecks  a  man  on 
such  a  rock  as  this !  0  blessed  hurricane  that  drives  the 
soul  to  God,  and  God  alone  !  There  is  no  getting  at  our  God 
sometimes  because  of  the  multitude  of  our  friends  ;  but  when 
a  man  is  «o  poor,  so  friendless,  so  helpless,  that  he  has  no- 
where else  to  turn,  he  flies  into  his  Father's  arms,  and  is 
blessedly  clasped  therein  !  When  he  is  burdened  with  trou- 
bles, so  pressing  and  so  peculiar  that  he  cannot  ♦ell  thom  to 
any  but  his  God,  he  may  be  thankful  for  them ;  for  he  will 
learn  more  of  his  Lord  then  than  at  any  other  time.  Oh, 
tempest-tossed  believer,  it  is  a  happy  trouble  tha(  drives  thee 
to  thy  Father  !  Now  that  thou  hast  only  thy  God  to  trust  to, 
see  that  thou  puttest  thy  full  confidence  in  Him.  Dishonor 
not  thy  Lord  and  Master  by  unworthy  doubts  and  fears  ;  but 
be  strong  in  faith,  giving  glory  to  God.  Show  tht  world  that 
thy  God  is  worth  ten  thousand  worlds  to  thee.  Show  rich 
men  how  rich  thou  art  in  thy  poverty  when  the  Lo'd  God  is 
thy  helper.  Show  the  strong  man  how  strong  thou  art  in  thy 
weakness  when  underneath  thee  are  the  everlastirg  aims 
Now  is  the  time  for  feats  of  faith  and  valiant  exploits.  Be 
strong  and  very  courageous,  and  the  Lord  thy  God  si  all  cer- 
tainly, as  surely  as  he  built  the  heavens  and  the  earth  glorifj 
Himself  in  thy  weakness,  and  magnify  His  might  in  the 
midst  of  thy  distress.  The  grandeur  of  the  arch  of  heaven 
would  be  spoiled  if  the  sky  were  supported  by  a  singl«  visi- 
ble column,  and  your  faith  would  lose  its  glory  if  it  res^>d  on 
anything  discernible  by  the  carnal  eye.  May  the  Holy  '  piril 
give  you  to  rest  in  Jesus  this  closing  day  of  the  month 


St'pt.   1.  '  t)AILY   tUEAtolNGS.  246 

"  Thou  shall  guide  me  with  Thy  counsel,  and  afterward  receive 
vie  to  glory y  —  I'salm  Ixxiii.  24. 

"CIIE  Psalmist  felt  his  need  of  divine  guidance-  He 
^yjl^  had  just  been  discovering  the  foolishness  of  nis  own 
heart,  and,  lest  he  should  be  constantly  led  astray 
by  it,  he  resolved  that  God's  counsel  should  henceforth  guid? 
him.  A  sense  of  our  own  folly  is  a  great  step  towards  being 
wise  when  it  leads  us  to  rely  on  the  wisdom  of  the  Lord. 
The  blind  man  leans  on  his  friend's  arm,  and  reaches  home 
in  safety ;  and  so  would  we  give  ourselves  up  implicitly  to 
divine  gnidance,  nothing  doubting,  assured  that,  though  we 
cannot  see,  it  is  always  safe  to  trust  the  All-seeing  God 
''Thou  shah"  is  a  blessed  expression  of  confidence.  lie 
was  sure  that  the  Lord  would  not  decline  the  condescending 
task.  There  is  a  word  for  thee,  0  believer ;  rest  thou  in  it. 
Be  assured  that  thy  God  will  be  thy  counsellor  and  friend; 
He  shall  guide  thee ;  He  will  direct  all  thy  ways.  In  His 
written  AVord  thou  hast  this  assurance  in  part  fulfilled,  for 
holy  Scripture  is  His  counsel  to  thee.  Happy  are  we  to  have 
God's  Word  always  to  guide  us !  What  were  the  mariner 
without  his  compass  I  And  what  were  the  Christian  without 
the  Bible  ?  This  is  the  unerring  chart,  the  map  in  which 
every  shoal  is  described,  and  all  the  channels,  from  the 
quicksands  of  destruction  to  the  haven  of  salvation,  mapped 
and  marked  by  one  who  knows  all  the  way.  Blessed  be 
Thou,  0  God,  that  we  may  trust  Thee  to  guide  us  now,  and 
guide  us  even  to  the  end  !  After  this  guidance  through  life, 
the  Psalmist  anticipates  a  divine  reception  at  last  —  "And 
afterivard  receive  me  to  glory."  What  a  thought  for  thee, 
believer!  God  Himself  will  receive  thee  to  glory  —  thee' 
Wandering,  erring,  straying,  yet  He  will  bring  thee  safe  at 
last  to  glory  I  This  is  thy  portion  ;  live  on  it  this  day,  and, 
if  perplexities  should  surround  thee,  go  in  the  strength  of 
this  text  straight  to  the  tlirone. 
21* 


246  JDAILY    KEADIKGS,  Sept.  ^. 

"But  Simon^s  wife^s  mother  lay  sick  of  a  fever,  and  anon  tliey  tell 
Eim  of  her"  —  Mark  i.  30. 

i|S'ERY  interesting  is  this  little  peep  into  the  house  of 
M  the  Apostolic  Fisherman.  We  sec  at  once  that  house 
hold  joys  and  cares  are  no  hinderance  to  the  full  ex- 
ercise of  the  ministry;  nay,  that  since  they  furnish  an  oppor- 
tunity for  personally  witnessing  the  Lord's  gracious  work 
upon  one's  own  flesh  and  blood,  they  may  even  instruct  the 
teacher  better  than  any  other  earthly  discipline.  Papists 
and  other  sectaries  may  decry  marriage,  but  true  Christi- 
anity and  household  life  agree  well  together.  Peter's  house 
was  probably  a  poor  fisherman's  hut,  but  the  Lord  of  Glory 
entered  it,  lodged  in  it,  and  wrought  a  miracle  in  it.  Should 
our  little  book  be  read  this  morning  in  some  very  humble 
cottage,  let  this  fact  encourage  the  inmates  to  seek  the  com- 
pany of  King  Jesus.  God  is  oftener  in  little  huts  than  in 
rich  palaces.  Jesus  is  looking  round  your  room  now,  and 
is  waiting  to  be  gracious  to  you.  Into  Simon's  house  sick- 
ness had  entered,  fever  in  a  deadly  form  had  prostrated  his 
mother-in-law,  and  as  soon  as  Jesus  came  they  told  Him  of 
the  sad  affliction,  and  He  hastened  to  the  patient's  bed. 
Have  you  any  sickness  in  the  house  this  morning  ?  You 
will  find  Jesus  by  far  the  best  physician ;  go  to  Him  at  once, 
and  tell  Him  all  about  the  matter.  Immediately  lay  the  case 
before  Him.  It  concerns  one  of  His  people,  and  therefore 
will  not  be  trivial  to  Him.  Observe,  that  at  once  the  Saviour 
restored  the  sick  woman  ;  none  can  heal  as  He  does.  We 
may  not  make  sure  that  the  Lord  will  at  once  remove  all 
disease  from  those  we  love,  but  we  may  know  that  believing 
prayer  for  the  sick  is  far  more  likely  to  be  followed  by 
restoration  than  anything  else  in  the  world ;  and  where  this 
avails  not,  we  must  meekly  bow  to  His  will  by  whom  life  and 
death  are  determined.  The  tender  heart  of  Jesus  waits  to 
hear  our  griefs ;  let  us  pour  them  into  His  patient  ear. 


Sept.  {J.  KAii.ir  uiiADixGs.  24^ 

"  Tliou  whom  vttj  soul  loveth."  —  Canticles  i.  7. 


m 


\'j^  is  well  to  be  able,  without  any  "if"  or  "but,"  to 
VnI  *^^  ^^y  '^^  ^^^^  Lord  Jesus  —  "  Thou  whom  my  soul  loveth." 
'^^^  Many  can  only  say  of  Jesus  that  thoy  hope  thoy  love 
Hiin  ;  they  trust  they  love  Ilim  ;  but  only  a  poor  and  shallow 
experience  will  be  content  to  stay  here.  No  one  ought  to 
give  any  rest  to  his  spirit  till  he  feels  quite  sure  about  a 
matter  of  such  vital  importance.  We  ought  not  to  be  satis- 
fied with  a  superficial  hope  that  Jesus  loves  us,  and  with  a 
bare  trust  that  we  love  Him.  The  old  saints  did  not  gen- 
erally speak  with  "  buts,"  and  "  ifs,"  and  "  hopes,"  and 
"trusts,"  but  they  spoke  positively  and  plainly.  "I  know 
svhom  I  have  believed,"  saith  Paul.  "  I  know  that  my  Re- 
deemer liveth,"  saith  Job.  Get  positive  knowledge  of  your 
love  of  Jesus,  and  be  not  satisfied  till  you  can  speak  of  your 
interest  in  Him  as  a  rcalit}',  which  you  have  made  sure  by 
having  received  the  witness  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  His  seal 
upon  your  soul  by  faith. 

True  love  to  Christ  Is  in  every  case  the  Holy  Spirit's  work, 
and  must  be  wrought  in  the  heart  by  Him.  He  is  the  effi- 
cient cause  of  it ;  but  the  logical  reason  why  we  love  Jesus 
lies  in  Himself.  Why  do  VfC  love  Jesus  ?  Because  He  first 
loved  lis.  Why  do  we  love  Jesus  ?  Because  He  "  gave 
Himself  for  us.''  We  have  life  through  His  death  ;  we  have 
peace  through  His  blood.  Though  He  was  rich,  yet  for 
our  sakcs  He  became  poor.  Why  do  we  love  Jesus  ?  Be- 
cause of  the  excellency  of  His  perse  i.  We  are  filled  with  a 
sense  of  His  beauty !  an  admiration  of  His  charms  !  a  con- 
sciousness of  His  infinite  perfection  !  His  greatness,  good- 
ness, and  loveliness,  in  one  resplendent  ray,  combine  to 
enchant  the  soul  till  it  is  so  ravished  that  it  exclaims,  "  Yea, 
He  is  altogether  lovely."  Blessed  love  this  —  a  love  whirh 
binds  the  heart  with  chains  more  soft  than  silk,  and  yet  mora 
firu)  than  adamant ' 


S4i8  DAILY   KEADINGS.  Sept.  4. 

"  Irrill ;  he  thou  clean."  —  Mark  i.  41. 

j^RIMEVAL  darkness  heard  the  Almighty  fiat,/'  Light 
be,"  and  straightway  light  was;  and  the  Word  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  is  equal  in  majesty  to  that  ancient  word 
of  power.  Eedemption,  like  Creation,  has  its  word  of  might. 
Jesus  speaks  and  it  is  done.  Leprosy  yielded  to  no  human 
remedies,  but  it  fled  at  once  at  the  Lord's  "  I  will."  The 
disease  exhibited  no  hopeful  signs  or  tokens  of  recovery ; 
nature  contributed  nothing  to  its  own  healing;  but  the  un^ 
aided  Word  effected  the  entire  work  on  the  spot  and  forever. 
The  sinner  is  in  a  plight  more  miserable  than  the  leper ;  let 
him  imitate  his  example,  and  go  to  Jesus,  "  beseeching  Him, 
and  kneeling  down  to  Him."  Let  him  exercise  what  little 
faith  he  has,  even  though  it  should  go  no  farther  than,  "  Lord, 
if  thou  wilt,  Th'u  canst  make  me  clean  ;  "  and  there  need  be 
no  doubt  as  to  the  result  of  the  application.  Jesus  heals  all 
who  come,  and  casts  out  none.  In  reading  the  narrative  in 
which  our  morning's  text  occurs,  it  is  worthy  of  devout  no- 
tice that  Jesus  touched  the  leper.  This  unclean  person  had 
broken  through  the  regulations  of  the  ceremonial  law,  and 
pressed  into  the  house  ;  but  Jesus,  so  far  from  chiding  him, 
broke  through  the  law  Himself  in  order  to  meet  him.  He 
made  an  interchange  with  the  leper,  for  while  He  cleansed 
him,  He  contracted  by  that  touch  a  Levitical  defilement. 
Even  so  Jesus  Christ  was  made  sin  for  us,  although  in  Him- 
Bolf  He  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness 
of  God  in  Him,  0  that  poor  sinners  would  go  to  Jesus,  be- 
lieving in  the  power  of  His  blessed  substitutionary  work,  and 
thej  would  soon  learn  the  power  of  His  gracious  touch.  That 
hand  which  multiplied  the  loaves,  which  saved  sinking  Peter, 
which  upholds  afilicted  saints,  which  crowns  believers,  that 
same  hand  will  touch  every  seeking  sinner,  and  in  a  moment 
make  him  clean.  The  love  of  Jesus  is  the  source  of  salva- 
tion.    He  loves,  He  looks,  He  touches  us,  we  live. 


Sept.   5  t>.ULY    JIEADING3.  249 

"  Woe  is  nic,  (hat  I  snjovni  in  Mcsech,  ihut  I  dwell  in  the  tents  of 
Kedar ! "  —  Psalm  cxx.  5. 

I'-S  a  Christian  you  have  to  live  in  the  midst  of  an  in- 
'^  godly  world,  and  it  is  of  little  use  for  you  to  orj, 
<>^^jy\  ""Woe  is  me."  Jesus  did  not  pray  that  you  should 
be  taken  out  of  the  world,  and  what  He  did  not  pray  for  you 
need  not  desire.  Better  far  in  the  Lord's  strength  to  meet 
the  diflBculty,  and  glorify  Ilim  in  it.  The  enemy  is  ever  on 
the  watch  to  detect  inconsistency  in  your  conduct ;  be  there- 
fore very  liohj.  Eemcmbcr  that  the  eyes  of  all  are  upon  you, 
and  that  more  is  expected  from  you  than  from  other  men. 
Strive  to  give  no  occasion  for  blame.  Let  your  goodness  be 
the  only  fault  they  can  discover  in  you.  Like  Daniel,  com- 
pel them  to  say  of  you,  "  We  shall  not  find  any  occasion 
against  this  Daniel,  except  we  find  it  against  him  concerning 
the  law  of  his  God."  Seek  to  bo  useful  as  well  as  consist- 
ent. Perhaps  you  think,  "  If  I  were  in  a  more  favorable 
position  I  might  serve  the  Lord's  cause,  but  I  cannot  do  any 
good  where  I  am  ; "  but  the  worse  the  people  are  among 
whom  you  live,  the  more  need  have  they  of  your  exertions ; 
if  they  be  crooked,  the  more  necessity  that  you  should  set 
them  straight ;  and  if  they  be  perverse,  the  more  need  have 
you  to  turn  their  proud  hearts  to  the  truth.  Where  should 
the  physician  be  but  where  there  are  many  sick  ?  Where 
is  honor  to  be  won  by  the  soldier  but  in  the  hottest  fire  of 
the  battle  ?  And  when  weary  of  the  strife  and  sin  that  meet 
you  on  every  hand,  consider  that  all  the  saints  have  endured 
the  same  trial.  They  were  not  carried  on  beds  of  down  to 
heaven,  and  you  must  not  expect  to  travel  more  easily  than 
they.  They  had  to  hazard  their  lives  unto  the  death  in  the 
high  places  of  the  field,  and  you  will  not  be  crowned  till  you 
also  have  endured  hardness  as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Therefore,  "  stand  fast  in  the  faith ;  quit  you  like  men  •  h» 
Btrong." 


240  DAILY  READINGS.  Sept.  6. 

"  In  the  midst  of  a  crooked  and  perverse  nation,  among  whom  ye 
shine  as  lights  in  the  luorld."  —  Philippians  ii.  15, 

jijE  us^  lights  to  make  manifest.  A  Christian  man 
^j'l^j  sboTild  so  shine  in  his  life,  that  a  person  could  nol 
live  with  him  a  week  without  knowing  the  gos- 
pel. His  conversation  should  be  such  that  all  who  are  abou> 
him  should  clearly  perceive  whose  he  is,  and  whom  he  serves- 
and  should  see  the  image  of  Jesus  reflected  in  his  daily  ac- 
tions. Li|,'hts  are  intended  for  guidance.  We  are  to  helf 
those  arouid  us  who  are  in  the  dark.  We  are  to  hold  forth 
to  them  the  Word  of  life.  We  are  to  point  sinners  to  the 
Saviour,  rnd  the  weary  to  a  divine  resting-place.  Men 
Bometimes  read  their  Bibles,  and  fail  to  understand  them ; 
we  should  be  ready,  like  Philip,  to  instruct  the  inquirer  in 
the  meanlog  of  God's  Word,  the  way  of  salvation,  and  the 
life  of  goJliness.  Lights  are  also  used  for  warning.  On 
our  rocks  and  shoals  a  lighthouse  is  sure  to  be  erected. 
Christian  :men  should  know  that  there  are  many  false  lights 
shown  everywhere  in  the  world,  and  therefore  the  right  light 
is  needed.  The  wreckers  of  Satan  are  always  abroad,  tempt- 
ing the  ungodly  to  sin  under  the  name  of  pleasure :  they 
hoist  the  wrong  light ;  be  it  ours  to  put  up  the  true  light  upon 
every  dangerous  rock,  to  point  out  every  sin,  and  tell  what 
it  leads  to,  that  so  we  may  be  clear  of  the  blood  of  all  men, 
shining  as  lights  in  the  world.  Lights  also  have  a  very 
cheering  influence,  and  so  have  Christians.  A  Christian 
ought  to  be  a  comforter,  with  kind  words  on  his  lips,  and 
sympathy  in  his  heart ;  he  should  carry  suns^hine  wherever 
be  goes,  and  difi'use  happiness  around  him. 

*'  Gracious  Spirit,  dwell  with  me; 
I  myself  would  gracious  be, 
And  with  words  that  help  and  heal, 
Would  Thy  life  in  mine  reveal, 
And  with  actions  bold  and  meek, 
Would  for  Christ  my  Saviour  speak." 


Sept.  7.  CAItY   ftEAt)lVGS.  d51 

"  And  xchen  they  couM  not  come  nigh  unto  Him  for  the  presa,  thejf 
uncovered  the  roif  where  He  teas:  and  when  they  had  broken  it 
up,  they  let  down  the  bed  wherein  the  sick  of  the  palsy  lay* 
Mark  ii.  4. 

■ftJ^if^^AITH  is  full  of  inventions.  The  house  was  full,  a 
fc^l^  crowd  blocked  up  the  door,  but  faith  found  a  way  of 
V^'^^  getting  at  the  Lord  and  placing  the  palsied  man  be- 
fore Him.  If  we  cannot  get  sinners  where  Jesus  is  by 
ordinary  methods,  we  must  use  extraordinary  ones.  It  seems, 
according  to  Luke  v.  19,  that  a  tiling  had  to  be  removed, 
which  would  make  dust  and  cause  a  measure  of  danger  to  those 
below ;  but  where  the  case  is  very  urgent,  we  must  not  mind 
running  some  risks  and  shocking  some  proprieties.  Jesus 
was  there  to  heal,  and  therefore  fall  what  might,  faith  ven- 
tured all  so  that  her  poor  paralyzed  charge  might  have  hia 
sins  forgiven.  0  that  we  had  more  daring  faith  among  us  ! 
Cannot  we,  dear  reader,  seek  it  this  morning  for  ourselves 
and  for  our  fellow-workers,  and  will  we  not  try  to-day  to 
perform  some  gallant  act  for  the  love  of  souls  and  the  glory 
of  the  Lord. 

The  world  is  constantly  inventing ;  genius  serves  all  the 
purposes  of  human  desire  :  cannot  faith  invent  too,  and  reach 
by  some  new  means  the  outcasts  who  lie  perishing  around  us  ? 
It  was  the  presence  of  Jesus  which  excited  victorious  courage 
in  the  four  bearers  of  the  palsied  man  :  is  not  the  Lord  among 
us  now  ?  Have  we  seen  His  face  for  ourselves  this  morning  ? 
Have  we  felt  His  healing  power  in  our  own  souls  ?  If  so, 
then  through  door,  through  window,  or  through  roof,  let  us, 
breaking  through  all  impediments,  labor  to  bring  poor  souIh 
to  Jesus.  All  means  are  good  and  decorous  when  faith  and 
love  are  truly  set  on  winning  souls.  If  hunger  for  bread  can 
break  through  stone  walls,  surely  hunger  for  souls  is  not  to 
be  hindered  in  its  eiforts.  0  Lord,  make  us  quick  to  suggest 
methods  of  reaching  Thy  p<.or  sin-sick  ones,  and  told  tu 
carry  them  out  at  all  hazards. 


25^  l)AItY    HEADINGS.  Sept.  8. 

"  From  Me  is  thy  fruit  found.'"  —  Hosea  xiv.  8. 


^^UR  fruit  is  found  from  our  God  as  to  union.  The 
fruit  of  the  branch  is  directly  traceable  to  the  root. 
^  Sever  the  connection,  the  branch  dies,  and  no  fruit 
is  produced.  By  virtue  of  our  union  with  Christ  we  bring 
forth  fruit.  Every  bunch  of  grapes  has  been  first  in  the  root ; 
it  has  passed  through  the  stem,  and  flowed  through  the  sap 
vessels,  and  fashioned  itself  externally  into  fruit ;  but  it  was 
first  in  the  stem  :  so  also  every  good  work  was  first  in  Chridt, 
and  then  is  brought  forth  in  us.  0  Christian,  prize  this 
precious  union  to  Christ ;  for  it  must  be  the  source  of  all  the 
fruitfulness  which  thou  canst  hope  to  know.  If  thou  wert 
not  joined  to  Jesus  Christ,  thou  wouldst  be  a  barren  bough 
indeed. 

Our  fruit  comes  from  God  as  to  spiritual  providence. 
When  the  dew-drops  fall  from  heaven,  when  the  cloud  looks 
down  from  on  high,  and  is  about  to  distil  its  liquid  treasure, 
when  the  bright  sun  swells  the  berries  of  the  cluster,  each 
heavenly  boon  may  whisper  to  the  tree  and  say,  "  From  me 
is  thy  fruit  found."  The  fruit  owes  much  to  the  root —  that 
is  essential  to  fruitfulness  —  but  it  owes  very  much  also  to 
external  influences.  How  much  we  owe  to  God's  grace- 
providence  !  in  which  He  provides  us  constantly  with  quick- 
ening, teaching,  consolation,  strength,  or  whatever  else  we 
want.     To  this  we  owe  our  all  of  usefulness  or  virtue. 

Our  fruit  comes  from  God  as  to  %vise  husbandry.  The 
gardener's  sharp-edged  knife  promotes  the  fruitfulness  of  the 
tree,  by  thinning  the  clusters,  and  by  cutting  ofi"  superfluous 
shoots.  So  is  it.  Christian,  with  that  pruning  which  the  Lord 
gives  to  thee.  "  My  Father  is  the  husbandman.  Every  branch 
in  Me  that  beareth  not  fruit  He  taketh  away  ;  and  every  branch 
that  beareth  fruit.  He  purgeth  it,  that  it  may  bring  forth  more 
fruit."  Since  our  God  is  the  author  of  our  spiritual  graces, 
let  us  give  to  Him  all  the  glory  of  our  salvation. 


Sept.  9.  DAILY    READINGS.  i53 

"  T u'ill  anstccr  thee,  and  show  thee  great  and  mi'i/hti/  rw.<^i  iohich 
thou  knotcest  not."  —  Jeremiah  xxxiii.  3. 


ClIERE  are  different  trauslations  of  these  words.  One 
'^  version  renders  it,  "  I  will  show  thee  great  and 
fortified  things ; "  another,  "  great  and  reserved 
things."  Now,  there  are  reserved  and  special  things  in 
Christian  experience  :  all  the  developments  of  spiritual  life 
are  not  alike  easy  of  attainment.  There  are  the  common 
frames  and  feelings  of  repentance,  and  faith,  and  joy,  and 
hope,  which  are  enjoyed  by  the  entire  family;  but  there  is 
an  upper  realm  of  rapture,  of  communion,  and  conscious 
union  with  Christ,  which  is  far  from  being  the  common  dwell- 
ing-place of  believers.  We  have  not  all  the  high  privilege 
of  John,  to  lean  upon  Jesus"  bosom ;  nor  of  Paul,  to  be 
caught  up  into  the  third  heaven,  'i'here  aiC  heights  in  ex- 
perimental knowledge  of  the  things  of  God  which  the  eagle's 
eye  of  acumen  and  philosophic  thought  hath  never  seen  : 
God  alone  can  bear  us  there ;  but  the  chariot  in  which  He 
takes  us  up,  and  the  fiery  steeds  with  which  that  chariot  is 
dragged,  are  prevailing  pra^'ers.  Prevailing  prayer  is  vic- 
torious over  the  God  of  mercy.  "  By  his  strength  he  had 
power  with  God  :  j'ca,  he  had  power  over  the  angel,  and 
prevailed  :  he  wept  and  made  supplication  unto  Ilim  ;  he 
found  Him  in  Betli-el,  and  there  He  spake  with  us."  Pre- 
vailing prayer  takes  the  Christian  to  Carmel,  and  enables  him 
to  cover  lioaven  with  clouds  of  blessing,  and  earth  with  floods 
of  mercy.  Prevailing  prayer  bears  the  Christian  aloft  to 
Pisgah,  and  shows  him  the  inheritance  reserved ;  it  elevates 
us  to  Tabor,  and  transfigures  us,  till  in  the  likeness  of  his 
Lord,  as  he  is,  so  are  we  also  in  this  world.  If  you  would 
reach  to  something  higher  than  ordinary  grovelling  experi- 
ence, look  to  the  Pock  that  is  higher  than  you,  and  gaze  with 
the  eye  of  faith  through  the  window  of  importunate  prayer. 
When  you  open  the  window  on  your  side,  it  will  not  bo  bolted 

on  the  other. 

99 


254  DAILY  HEADINGS.  Sept.  10 

"  And  He  goeih  up  into  a  mountain,  and  calleth  unto  Him  whom  He 
would:  and  they  came  unto  Him." — Mark  iii.  13. 

^ERE  was  sovereignty.  Impatient  spirits  may  fret  and 
V.  fume  because  they  are  not  called  to  the  highest 
'^^**^  places  in  the  ministry  ;  but,  reader,  be  it  thine  to  re~ 
ioice  that  Jesus  calleth  whom  He  will.  If  He  shall  leave 
me  to  be  a  doorkeeper  in  His  house,  I  will  cheerfully  bless 
Him  for  His  grace  in  permitting  me  to  do  anything  in  His 
service.  The  call  of  Christ's  servants  comes  from  above. 
Jesus  stands  on  the  mountain,  evermore  above  the  world  in 
holiness,  earnestness,  love,  and  power.  Those  whom  He  calls 
must  go  up  the  mountain  to  Him  ;  they  must  seek  to  rise  to 
His  level  by  living  in  constant  communion  with  Him.  They 
may  not  be  able  to  mount  to  classic  honors,  or  attain  scho- 
lastic eminence,  but  they  must  like  Moses  go  up  into  the 
mount  of  God,  and  have  familiar  intercourse  with  the  unseen 
God,  or  they  will  never  be  fitted  to  proclaim  the  gospel  of 
peace.  Jesus  went  apart  to  hold  high  fellowship  with  the 
Father,  and  we  must  enter  into  the  same  divine  companion- 
ship if  we  would  bless  our  fellow-men.  No  wonder  that  the 
apostles  were  clothed  with  power  when  they  came  down  fresh 
from  the  mountain  where  Jesus  was.  This  morning  we  must 
endeavor  to  ascend  the  mount  of  communion,  that  there  we 
may  be  ordained  to  the  life-work  for  which  we  are  set  apart. 
Let  us  not  see  the  face  of  man  to-day  till  we  have  seen  Jesus. 
Time  spent  with  Him  is  laid  out  at  blessed  interest.  We  too 
shall  cast  out  devils  and  work  wonders  if  we  go  down  into 
the  world  girded  with  that  divine  energy  which  Christ  alone 
ean  give.  It  is  of  no  use  going  to  the  Lord's  battle  till  we 
are  armed  with  heavenly  weapons.  We  must  see  Jesus  :  this 
is  essential.  At  the  mercy-seat  we  will  linger  till  He  shalj 
manifest  Himself  unto  us  as  He  doth  not  unto  the  world,  and 
until  we  can  tiuthfully  say,  "  We  were  with  Him  in  the  Hol^ 
Mount." 


Sept.  11  DAILY  READINGS.  255 

"  Be  ye  separate."  —  2  Corinthians  vi.  17. 


JSMSa^^HE  Christian,  while  in  the  world,  is  not  to  be  of  Ihp 
H^r^^'  world.  lie  should  be  distinguished  from  it  in  iht 
^'^^f^  great  object  of  his  life.  To  him,  "  to  live,"  should  bo 
"  Christ."  AYhcthcr  he  eats,  or  drinks,  or  whatever  he  doe.?, 
he  should  do  all  to  God's  glory.  You  may  lay  up  treasure ; 
but  lay  it  up  in  heaven,  where  neither  moth  nor  rust  doth 
corrupt,  where  thieves  break  not  through  nor  steal.  You 
may  strive  to  be  rich  ;  but  be  it  your  ambition  to  be  "  rich 
in  faith "  and  good  works.  You  may  have  pleasure  ;  but 
when  you  are  merry,  sing  psalms  and  make  melody  in  your 
hearts  to  the  Lord.  In  your  spirit,  as  well  as  in  your  aim, 
you  should  differ  from  the  world.  "Waiting  humbly  before 
God,  always  conscious  of  Ilis  presence,  delighting  in  com- 
munion with  Him,  and  seeking  to  know  His  will,  you  will 
prove  that  you  are  of  heavenly  race.  And  you  should  be 
separate  from  the  world  in  your  actions.  If  a  thing  be  right, 
though  you  lose  by  it,  it  must  be  done ;  if  it  be  wrong,  though 
you  would  gain  by  it,  you  must  scorn  the  sin  for  your  Master's 
sake.  You  must  have  no  fellowship  with  the  unfruitful  works 
of  darkness,  but  rather  reprove  them.  Walk  worthy  of  your 
high  calling  and  dignity.  Remember,  0  Christian,  that  thou 
art  a  son  of  the  King  of  kings.  Therefore,  keep  thyself  un- 
spotted from  the  world.  Soil  not  the  fingers  which  are  soon 
to  sweep  celestial  strings ;  let  not  those  eyes  become  the 
windows  of  lust  which  are  soon  to  see  the  King  in  His  beauty 
—  let  not  those  feet  be  defiled  in  miry  places  which  are  soou 
to  walk  the  golden  streets  ;  ht  not  those  hearts  be  filled  with 
pride  and  bitterness  which  are  ere  long  to  be  filled  with 
heaven,  and  to  overflow  with  ecstatic  joy. 

Then  rise,  my  soul!  and  soar  away,  Up  where  eternal  beauties  bloom, 
Above  the  thoughtless  crowd  ;  And  pleasures  all  divine  ;    [sume. 

Above  the  pleasures  of  the  gay,  Where  wealth  that  never  can  co»- 
And  splendors  of  the  proud ;  And  «ndle8s  gloriea  shins. 


256  DAILV    READINGS.  Sept.   Vi. 

"  God  is  jealous"  —  Nahum  i.  2. 

^OUR  Lord  is  very  jealous  of  your  love,  O  believer. 

1^  Did  he  choose  you  ?  He  cannot  bear  that  you  should 
choose  another.  Did  He  buy  you  with  his  own  blood  ? 
He  cannot  endure  that  you  should  think  that  you  are 
your  own,  or  that  you  belong  to  this  world.  He  loved  you  with 
such  a  love  that  He  would  not  stop  in  heaven  without  you  ;  Ht 
would  sooner  die  than  you  should  perish,  and  he  cannot  endure 
that  anything  should  stand  between  your  heart's  love  and  Him- 
self. He  is  very  jealous  of  your  trust.  He  will  not  permit  you 
to  trust  in  an  arm  of  flesh.  He  cannot  bear  that  you  should 
hew  out  broken  cisterns,  when  the  overflowing  fountain  is  al- 
ways free  to  you.  When  we  lean  upon  Him,  He  is  glad  ;  but 
when  we  transfer  our  dependence  to  another,  when  we  rely 
upon  our  own  wisdom  or  the  wisdom  of  a  friend,  worst  of  all, 
vhen  we  trust  in  any  works  of  our  own,  He  is  displeased,  and 
wiH  chasten  us  that  He  may  bring  us  to  Himself.  He  is  also 
very  jealous  of  our  company.  There  should  be  no  one  with 
whom  we  converse  so  much  as  with  Jesus.  To  abide  in  Him 
only,  this  is  true  love  ;  but  to  commune  with  the  world,  to  find 
suflicient  solace  in  our  carnal  comforts,  to  prefer  even  the  so- 
ciety of  our  fellow-Christians  to  secret  intercourse  with  Him, 
this  is  grievous  to  our  jealous  Lord.  He  would  fain  have  us 
abide  in  Him,  and  enjoy  constant  fellowship  with  Himself; 
and  many  of  the  trials  which  He  sends  us  are  for  the  purpose 
of  weaning  our  hearts  from  the  creature,  and  fixing  them  more 
closely  upon  Himself.  Let  this  jealousy,  which  should  keep 
us  near  to  Christ,  be  also  a  comfort  to  us ;  for  if  He  loves  us 
so  much  as  to  care  thus  about  our  love,  we  may  be  sure  that 
He  will  sufi"er  nothing  to  harm  us,  and  will  protect  us  from 
all  oui  enemies.  0  that  we  may  have  grace  this  day  to  keep 
our  hearts  in  sacred  chastity  for  our  Beloved  alone,  with  sacred 
jealousy  shutting  our  eyes  to  all  the  fascinations  of  the  world  ! 


Sept.    13.  DAILY    READINGS.  257 

"  Who  passing  tliroitgli  the  valley  of  Baca  make  it  a  well,  the  rain 
also  filleth  the  pools."  —  Psalm  Ixxxiv.  G. 

^^HIS  teaches  us  that  the  comfort  obtained  by  one  may 
\(^^j  often  prove  serviceable  to  another;  just  as  wells 
would  be  used  by  the  company  who  came  after.  We 
read  some  book  fulJ  of  consolation,  which  is  like  Jonathan's 
rod,  dropping  with  honey.  Ah  !  we  think  our  brother  has 
been  here  before  us,  and  digged  this  well  for  us  as  well  as  for 
himself.  Many  a  "  Night  of  Weeping,"  "  Midnight  Harmo- 
nics," an  "  Eternal  Day,"  "  A  Crook  in  the  Lot,"  a  "  Comfort 
for  Mourners,"  has  been  a  well  digged  by  a  pilgrim  for  him- 
self, but  has  proved  quite  as  useful  to  others.  Specially,  we 
notice  this  in  the  Psalms,  such  as  that  beginning,  "  Why  art 
thou  cast  down,  0  my  soul?"  Travellers  have  been  de- 
lighted to  see  the  footprint  of  man  on  a  barren  shore,  ind 
we  love  to  see  the  waymarks  of  pilgrims  while  passing  through 
the  vale  of  tears. 

The  pilgrims  dig  the  well,  but,  strange  enough,  it  fills  from 
the  top  instead  of  the  bottom.  We  use  the  means,  but  the 
blessing  does  not  spring  from  the  means.  We  dig  a  well, 
but  Heaven  fills  it  with  rain.  The  horse  is  prepared  against 
the  day  of  battle,  but  safety  is  of  the  Lord.  The  means  are 
connected  with  the  end,  but  they  do  not  of  themselves  pro- 
duce it.  See  here  the  rain  fills  the  pools,  so  that  the  wells 
become  useful  as  reservoirs  for  the  water  ;  labor  is  not  lost, 
but  yet  it  does  not  supersede  divine  help. 

Grace  may  well  be  compared  to  rain  for  its  purity,  for  its 
refreshing  and  vivifying  influence,  for  its  coming  alone  from 
above,  and  for  the  sovereignty  with  which  it  is  given  or  with- 
held. May  our  readers  have  showers  of  blessing,  and  may 
the  wells  they  have  digged  be  filled  with  water.  Oh,  what 
nre  means  and  ordinances  without  the  smile  of  Heaven  !  they 
are  as  clouds  without  rain,  and  pools  without  water.  0  God  of 
love,  open  the  windows  of  heaven,  and  pour  us  out  a  blessing  I 
22  • 


258  DAILY    READINGS.  Scpt.   1  I. 

"  Tliere  ucre  also  with  Him  other  little  shijJS."  —  Mark  iv.  36. 

^ESUS  was  the  Lord  High  Admiral  of  the  sea  that 
U  night,  and  His  presence  preserved  the  whole  convoy. 
•^  It  is  well  to  sail  with  Jesus,  even  though  it  be  in  a 
little  ship.  When  we  sail  in  Christ's  company,  we  may  not 
make  sure  of  fair  weather,  for  great  storms  may  toss  the  ves- 
sel which  carries  the  Lord  Himself,  and  we  must  not  expect 
to  find  the  sea  less  boisterous  around  our  little  boat.  If  we 
go  with  Jesus  we  must  be  content  to  fare  as  He  fares ;  and 
when  the  waves  are  rough  to  Him,  they  will  be  rougli  to  us. 
It  is  by  tempest  and  tossing  that  we  shall  come  to  land,  as 
He  did  before  us. 

When  the  storm  swept  over  Galilee's  dark  lake,  all  faces 
gathered  blackness,  and  all  hearts  dreaded  shipwreck.  When 
all  creature-help  was  useless,  the  slumbering  Saviour  arose, 
and  with  a  word,  transformed  the  riot  of  the  tempest  into  the 
deep  quiet  of  a  calm  ;  then  were  the  little  vessels  at  rest,  as 
well  as  that  which  carried  the  Lord.  Jesus  is  the  star  of  the 
sea;  and  though  there  be  sorrow  upon  the  sea,  when  Jesus 
is  on  it  there  is  joy  too.  May  our  hearts  make  Jesus  their 
anchor,  their  rudder,  their  lighthouse,  their  lifeboat,  and  their 
harbor.  His  Church  is  the  Admiral's  flagship  ;  let  us  attend 
her  movements,  and  cheer  her  officers  with  our  presence. 
He  Himself  is  the  great  attraction  ;  let  us  follow  ever  in  His 
wake,  mark  His  signals,  steer  by  His  chart,  and  never  feai 
while  He  is  within  hail.  Not  one  ship  in  the  convoy  shall 
suifer  wreck  ;  the  great  Commodore  will  steer  every  bark 
in  safety  to  the  desired  haven.  By  faith  we  will  slip  oui 
cable  for  another  day's  cruise,  and  sail  forth  with  Jesus  into 
a  sea  of  tribulation.  Winds  and  waves  will  not  spare  us,  but 
they  all  obey  Him  ;  and,  therefore,  whatever  squalls  may  oc- 
cur without,  faith  shall  feel  a  blessed  calm  within.  He  is  ever 
in  the  centre  of  the  weather-beaten  company;  let  us  rejoice 
in  Him.    His  vessel  has  reached  the  haven,  and  so  shall  ours. 


K..^*    15.  DAILY    BEADINOS.  259 

.  Ve  shall  not  he  afraid  of  evil  tidings."  —  Psalm  cxii.  7. 

^/*^/^-iriISTIAN,  you  ought  not  to  dread  the  arrival  of 
•ci)!  tyil  tidings  ;  because  if  you  are  distressed  by  them, 
^  f.rat  do  you  more  than  other  men?  Other  men  hav 
not  your  0  >  1  to  fly  to  ;  they  have  never  proved  His  faithful- 
ness as  yew  have  done,  and  it  is  no  wonder  if  they  are 
bowed  down  ivith  alarm  and  cowed  with  fear;  but  you  pro- 
fi.ss  to  be  of  another  spirit;  you  have  been  begotten  again 
uuto  a  lively  lope,  and  your  heart  lives  in  heaven,  and  not 
on  earthly  things;  now,  if  you  are  seen  to  be  distracted  as 
other  men,  whit  is  the  value  of  that  grace  which  you  profess 
to  have  receive  I  ?  Where  is  the  dignity  of  that  new  nature 
which  you  claiu.  to  possess  ? 

Agftin,  if  you  should  be  filled  with  alarm,  as  others  are 
you  would,  douhflcss,  he  led  into  the  sins  so  common  to  othen 
under  trying  circumstances.  The  ungodly,  when  they  are 
overtaken  by  evil  tidings,  rebel  against  God  ;  they  murmur, 
and  think  that  God  deals  hardly  with  them.  Will  you  fall 
into  that  saaie  fin  ?  AVill  you  provoke  the  Lord  as  they  do  ? 
Moreover,  uv  converted  men  often  run  to  wrong  mean?  in 
order  to  escape  from  difficulties,  and  you  will  be  sure  to  do 
the  same  if  your  u«ind  yields  to  the  present  pressure.  Trust 
in  the  Lord,  ai.d  wait  patiently  for  Him.  Your  wisest  course 
is  to  do  as  Moi-cs  did  at  the  Red  Sea — "  stand  still,  and  see 
the  salvation  of  God."  For  if  you  give  way  to  fear  when 
you  hear  of  evil  tidings,  you  will  be  unable  to  meet  the 
trouble  with  that  calui  composure  which  nerves  for  duty,  and 
sustains  under  adversity.  How  can  you  glorify  God  if  you 
'  play  the  coward  ?  S.'.ints  have  often  sung  God's  high  praises 
.n  the  fires,  but  will  your  doubting  and  desponding,  as  if 
ytou  had  none  to  help  you,  magnify  the  Most  High  ?  Then 
lake  courage,  and  relying  in  sure  confidence  upon  the  faith- 
fulness of  your  covenant  God,  "let  not  your  heart  be 
troubled,  neither  ki  it  be  afraid." 


260  DAtLT   READINGS.  Sept.   16 

"Partakers  of  the  divine  nature" — 2  Peter  i.  4. 

^i^*aO  be  a  partaker  of  the  divine  nature  is  not,  of  course, 
tUU^ft  tn  bfip.nmft  Gofl.      That,  nnnnnt,  hfi.      TVir  nssfinnft  nf 


.  fe  to  become  God.  That  cannot  be.  The  essence  of 
Deity  is  not  to  be  participated  in  by  the  creature. 
Between  the  creature  and  the  Creator  there  must  ever  be  a 
gulf  fixed  in  respect  of  essence  ;  but  as  the  first  man  Adam 
was  made  in  the  image  of  God,  so  we,  by  the  renewal  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  are  in  a  yet  diviner  sense  made  in  the  image  of 
the  Most  High,  and  are  partakers  of  the  divine  nature.  We 
are,  by  grace,  made  like  God.  "  God  is  love  ; "  we  become 
love  —  "  He  that  loveth  is  born  of  God."  God  is  truth  ;  we 
become  true,  and  we  love  that  which  is  true.  God  is  good, 
and  He  makcKS  us  good  by  His  grace,  so  that  we  become  the 
pure  in  heart  who  shall  see  God.  Moreover,  we  become 
partakers  of  the  divine  nature  in  even  a  higher  sense  than 
this  —  in  fact,  in  as  lofty  a  sense  as  can  be  conceived,  short 
of  our  being  absolutely  divine.  Do  we  not  become  members 
of  the  body  of  the  divine  person  of  Christ  ?  Yes,  the  same 
blood  which  flows  in  the  head  flows  in  the  hand ;  and  the 
same  life  which  quickens  Christ  quickens  His  people,  for, 
"  Ye  are  dead,  and  your  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God." 
Nay,  as  if  this  were  not  enough,  we  are  married  unto  Christ. 
He  hath  betrothed  us  unto  Himself  in  righteousness  and  in 
faithfulness,  and  he  who  is  joined  unto  the  Lord  is  one 
spirit.  Oh,  marvellous  mystery !  we  look  into  it,  but  who 
shall  understand  it  ?  One  with  Jesus  —  so  one  with  Him 
that  the  branch  is  not  more  one  with  the  vine  than  we  are  a 
part  of  the  Lord,  our  Saviour  and  our  Redeemer  !  While  we 
rejoice  in  this,  let  us  remember  that  those  who  are  made 
partakers  of  the  divine  nature  will  manifest  their  high  and 
holy  relationship  in  their  intercourse  with  others,  and  make 
it  evident,  by  their  daily  walk  and  conversation,  that  they 
have  escaped  the  corruption  that  is  in  the  world  through  lust. 
0  for  more  divine  holiness  of  life  ! 


Sept.   17.  TAILT    READINGS.  261 

"  Bring  him  /nfo  Me."—  Mark  ix.  1!).  IL. 


|j^J,ESI»AmiNGLY  the  poor  disappointed  father  turned 
^^  away  from  the  disciples  to  their  Master.  His  son 
was  in  the  worst  possible  condition,  and  all  means 
had  failed  ;  but  the  miserable  child  was  soon  delivered  from 
the  evil  one  when  the  parent,  in  faith,  obeyed  the  Lord  Jesus' 
word,  "  Bring  him  unto  Me."  Children  are  a  precious  gift 
from  God,  but  much  anxiety  comes  with  them.  They  may  be 
a  great  joy  or  a  great  bitterness  to  their  parents ;  they  may 
be  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  God,  or  possessed  with  the  spirit 
of  evil.  In  all  cases,  the  Word  of  God  gives  us  one  rece'pt 
for  the  curing  of  all  their  ills,  "  Bring  him  unto  Me."  0  for 
more  agonizing  prayer  on  their  behalf,  while  they  are  yet 
babes.  Sin  is  there,  let  our  prayers  begin  to  atack  it.  Our 
cries  for  our  offspring  should  precede  those  cries  which  be- 
token their  actual  advent  into  a  world  of  sin.  In  the  days 
of  their  youth  we  shall  see  sad  tokens  of  that  dumb  and  deaf 
spirit  which  will  neither  pray  aright  nor  hear  the  voice  of 
God  in  the  soul ;  but  Jesus  still  commands,  "  Bring  them  unto 
Me."  When  they  are  grown  up  they  may  wallow  in  sin  and 
foam  with  enmity  against  God  ;  then,  when  our  hearts  are 
breaking,  we  should  remember  the  great  Physician's  words, 
"  Bring  them  unto  Me."  Never  must  we  cease  to  pray  until 
they  cease  to  breathe.  No  case  is  hopeless  while  Jesus  lives. 
The  Lord  sometimes  suffers  Ilis  people  to  be  driven  into 
a  corner  that  they  may  experimentally  know  how  necessary 
He  is  to  them.  Ungodly  children,  when  they  show  us  our 
own  powerlessness  against  the  depravity  of  their  hearts, 
drive  us  to  flee  to  the  Strong  for  strength  ;  and  this  is  a  great 
blessing  to  us.  Whatever  our  morning's  need  may  be,  let  it, 
ike  a  strong  current,  bear  us  to  the  ocean  of  divine  love. 
Jesus  can  soon  remove  our  sorrow.  He  delights  to  comfort 
UB.    Let  us  hasten  to  Him  while  He  waits  to  meet  as, 


262  DAILY  READINGS.  Sept.  18. 

^^Ifwe  live  in  the  Spirit,  let  us  also  walk  in  the  Spirit." 
Galatians  v.  25. 

'SHE  two  most  important  things  in  our  holy  religion 
are  the  life  of  faith  and  the  walk  of  faith.     He  who 
shall  rightly  understand  these  is  not  far  from  being 
a  master  in  experimental  theology,  for  they  are  vital  points 
to  a  Christian.    You  will  never  find  true  faith  unattended  by 
true  godliness ;  on  the  other  hand,  you  will  never  discover 
a  truly  holy  life  which  has  not  for  its  root  a  living  faith  upon 
the  righteousness  of  Christ.    Woe  unto  those  who  seek  after 
the  one  without  the  other !     There  are  some  who  cultivate 
faith  and  forget  holiness  ;  these  may  be  very  high  in  ortho- 
doxy, but  they  shall  be  very  deep  in  condemnation,  for  they 
hold  the  truth  in  unrighteousness  ;  and  there  are  others  who 
have  strained  after  holiness  of  life,  but  have  denied  the  faith, 
like  the  Pharisees  of  old,  of  whom  the  Master  said,  they 
were  "  whitewashed  sepulchres."    We  must  have  faith,  for 
this  is  the  foundation  ;  we  must  have  holiness  of  life,  for  this 
is  the  superstructure.     Of  what  service  is  the  mere  founda- 
tion of  a  building  to  a  man  in  the  day  of  tempest  ?     Can  he 
hide  himself  therein  ?    He  wants  a  house  to  cover  him,  as 
well  as  a  foundation  for  that  house.     Even  so  we  need  the 
superstructure  of  spiritual  life  if  we  would  have  comfort  in 
the  day  of  doubt.    But  seek  not  a  holy  life  without  faith,  for 
that  would  be  to  erect  a  house  which  can  afford  no  perma- 
nent shelter,  because  it  has  no  foundation  on  a  rock.     Let 
faith  and  life  be  put  together ;  and,  like  the  two  abutments 
of  an  arch,  they  will  make  our  piety  enduring.     Like  light 
and  heat  streaming  from  the  same  sun,  they  are  alike  full  of 
blessing.     Like  the  two  pillars  of  the  temple,  they  are  for 
glory  and  for  beauty.    They  are  two  streams  from  the  foun- 
tain of  gra?e  ;  two  lamps  lit  with  holy  fire ;  two  olive  trees 
watered  by  heavenly  care.     0  Lord,  give  us   this  day  life 
within,  and  it  will  reveal  itself  without  to  Thy  glory. 


Sept.  19.  DAILY   HEADINGS.  263 

"  Tlie  liberty  tcJi^ewitk  Christ  hath  made  ii^free."  —  Gai.  v.  i. 


^S>^^-IIIS  "liberty"  makes  us  free  to  heaven's  charter  — 
illkll  //ie  Bible.  Here  is  a  choice  passage,  believer :  "  When 
^***^  thou  passest  through  the  rivers  I  will  be  with  thee." 
You  are  free  to  that.  Here  is  another :  "  The  mountaina 
shall  depart,  and  the  hills  be  removed,  but  my  kindness  shall 
not  depart  from  thee."  You  are  free  to  that.  You  are  a 
welcome  guest  at  the  table  of  the  promises.  Scripture  i.s 
a  never-failing  treasury  filled  with  boundless  stores  of  grace. 
It  is  the  bank  of  heaven  ;  you  may  draw  from  it  as  much  as 
you  please,  without  let  or  hinderance.  Come  in  faith,  and 
you  are  welcome  to  all  covenant  blessings.  There  is  not  a 
promise  in  the  Word  which  shall  be  withheld.  In  the  depths 
of  tribulations,  let  this  freedom  comfort  you ;  amidst  waves 
of  distress,  let  it  cheer  you ;  when  sorrows  surround  thee, 
let  it  be  thy  solace.  This  is  thy  Father's  love-token ;  thou 
art  free  to  it  at  all  times.  Thou  art  also  free  to  the  throne 
of  grace.  It  is  the  believer's  privilege  to  have  access  at  all 
times  to  His  heavenly  Father.  Whatever  our  desires,  our 
diflSculties,  our  wants,  we  are  at  liberty  to  spread  all  before 
Him.  It  matters  not  how  much  we  may  have  sinned,  we 
may  ask  and  expect  pardon.  It  signifies  nothing  how  poor 
we  are,  we  may  plead  His  promise  that  He  will  provide  all 
things  needful.  We  have  permission  to  approach  His  throne 
at  all  times  —  in  midnight's  darkest  hour,  or  in  noontide's 
most  burning  boat.  Exercise  thy  right,  0  believer,  and  live 
np  to  thy  privilege.  Thou  art  free  to  all  that  is  treasured 
up  in  Christ  —  wisdom,  rigliteousness,  sanctification,  and 
redemption.  It  matters  n^t  what  thy  need  is,  for  there  is 
fulness  of  supply  in  Christ,  and  it  is  there /or  thee.  0,  what 
a '*  freedom"  is  thine!  freedom  from  condemnation,  free* 
uom  to  the  promises,  freedom  to  the  throne  of  gTace,  aud  at 
last  freedom  to  enter  heaven  ! 


264  DAILY    HEADINGS.  Sept.   20 

"  Tlie  sicord  of  tlie  lord  and  of  Gideon."  —  Judges  vii.  20. 

j^IDEON  ordered  his  men  to  do  two  things  :  covering 
up  a  torch  in  an  earthen  pitcher,  he  bade  them,  at 

-^  an  appointed  signal,  break  the  pitcher,  and  let  the 
light  shine,  and  then  sound  with  the  trumpet,  crying,  "  The 
iword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon !  the  sword  of  the  Lord 
and  of  Gideon  !  "  This  is  precisely  what  all  Christians  must 
do.  First,  you  must  shine;  break  the  pitcher  which  conceals 
your  light ;  throw  aside  the  bushel  which  has  been  hiding 
your  candle,  and  shine.  Let  your  light  shine  before  men ; 
let  your  good  works  be  such,  that,  when  men  look  upon  you, 
they  shall  know  that  3'ou  have  been  with  Jesus.  Then  there 
must  be  the  sound,  the  blowing  of  the  trumpet.  There  must 
be  active  exertions  for  the  ingathering  of  sinners  by  pro- 
claiming Christ  crucified.  Take  the  gospel  to  them  ;  carry 
it  to  their  door ;  put  it  in  their  way ;  do  not  sufi'er  them  to 
3scape  it ;  blow  the  trumpet  right  against  their  ears.  Re- 
member, that  the  true  war-cry  of  the  Church  is  Gideon's 
watchword,  "The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon  !  "  God 
must  do  it ;  it  is  His  own  work.  But  we  are  not  to  be  idle ; 
instrumentality  is  to  be  used  —  "The  sword  of  the  Lord  and 
of  Gideon!"  If  we  only  cry,  "The  sword  of  the  Lord!" 
we  shall  be  guilty  of  an  idle  presumption  ;  and  if  we  shout, 
"  The  sword  of  Gideon  !  "  alone,  we  shall  manifest  idolatrous 
reliance  on  an  arm  of  flesh :  we  must  blend  the  two  in  prac- 
tical harmony,  —  "  The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon  !  " 
We  can  do  nothing  of  ourselves,  but  we  can  do  everything 
by  the  help  of  our  God ;  let  us,  therefore,  in  His  name  de- 
termine to  go  out  personally,  and  serve  with  our  flaming 
torch  of  holy  example,  and  with  our  trumpet  tones  of  earnest 
declaration  and  testimony,  and  God  shall  be  with  us,  and 
Midian  shall  be  put  to  confusion,  anl  the  Lord  of  hosts  shall 
roign  forever  and  ever. 


Sept.  21.  DAILY    HEADINGS.  2**  D 


"  I  will  rejoice  over  them  to  do  them  good."  —  Jer.  xxxii.  41. 

f^^OVl  licart-cbcering  to  the  believer  is  the  delight  wliici. 
j^B^j  God  has  in  His  saints  !  We  cannot  see  any  reason 
'^**^  in  ourselves  why  the  J>ord  should  take  pleasure  in 
js;  we  cannot  take  deliglit  in  ourselves,  for  we  often  have 
o  groan,  being  burdened,  conscious  of  our  sinfulness,  and 
deploring  our  unfaithfulness ;  and  we  fear  that  God's  people 
cannot  take  much  delight  in  uw,  for  they  must  perceive  sc 
':iuch  of  our  imperfections  and  follies,  that  they  may  rathei 
lament  our  infirmities  than  admire  our  graces.  But  we  love 
to  dwell  upon  this  transcendent  truth,  this  glorious  myslery: 
that  as  the  bridegroom  rejoicetli  over  the  bride,  so  does  the 
Lord  rejoice  over  us.  We  do  not  read  anywhere  that  God 
delighteth  in  the  cloud-capped  oiouutaius,  or  the  sparlding 
stars,  but  we  do  read  that  He  delighteth  in  the  habitable 
parts  of  the  earth,  and  that  His  delights  are  with  the  sons 
of  men.  We  do  not  find  it  writtcji  that  even  angels  gi%e 
His  soul  delight ;  nor  doth  He  say,  concerning  cherubim 
and  seraphim,  "  Thou  shalt  be  called  Hephzibah,  for  the. 
Lord  delighteth  in  thee ; "  but  He  doe-s  say  all  that  to  pooi 
fallen  creatures  like  ourselves,  debased  and  depraved  by  sin, 
but  saved,  exalted,  and  glorified  by  His  grace.  In  what 
strong  language  He  expresses  His  delight  in  His  people  ! 
^\'ho  could  have  conceived  of  the  eternal  One  as  bursting 
forth  into  a  song?  Yet  it  is  written,  "  He  will  rejoice  over 
thee  with  joy;  He  will  rest  in  His  Jove;  He  will  joy  over 
thee  with  singing."  As  He  looked  upon  the  world  He  had 
made.  He  said,  "  It  is  very  good  ; "  but  when  He  beheld 
those  who  are  the  purchase  of  Jesus*  blood.  His  own  chosen 
ones,  it  seemed  as  if  the  great  heart  of  the  Infinite  could  re- 
strain itself  no  longer,  but  overflowed  in  divine  exclamations 
of  joy.  Should  not  we  utter  our  grateful  response  to  such  a 
marvellous  declaration  of  His  love,  and  sing,  "  I  will  rejoice 
in  the  Lord,  I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation"  ? 
23 


266  JDAILT   READINGS.  c5ept.  62. 

"Let  Israel  rejoice  in  Him."  —  Psalm  cxlix.  2. 


^^M  glad  of  heart,  0  believer ;  but  take  care  that  thj 
|>  gladness  has  its  spring  in  the  Lord.  Thou  hast  much 
cause  for  gladness  in  thy  God,  for  thou  canst  sing 
with  David,  "  God,  my  exceeding  joy."  Be  glad  that  the 
Lord  reigneth,  that  Jehovah  is  King  !  Rejoice  that  He  sits 
upon  the  throne,  and  ruleth  all  things  !  Every  attribute  of 
God  should  become  a  fresh  ray  in  the  sunlight  of  our  glad- 
ness. That  He  is  %vise,  should  make  us  glad,  knowing  as  we 
do  our  own  foolishness.  That  he  is  mighty,  should  cause  us 
to  rejoice,  who  tremble  at  our  weakness.  That  He  is  ever- 
lasting, should  always  be  a  theme  of  joy  when  we  know  that 
we  wither  as  the  grass.  That  He  is  unchanging,  should  per- 
petually yield  us  a  song,  since  we  change  every  hour.  Th«t 
He  is  full  of  grace,  that  He  is  overflowing  with  it,  and  that 
this  grace  in  covenant  He  has  given  to  us ;  that  it  is  ours  to 
cleanse  us,  ours  to  keep  us,  ours  to  sanctify  us,  ours  to  per- 
fect us,  ours  to  bring  us  to  glory  —  all  this  should  tend  to 
make  us  glad  in  Him.  This  gladness  in  God  is  as  a  deep 
river ;  we  have  only  as  yet  touched  its  brink ;  we  know  a 
little  of  its  clear,  sweet,  heavenly  streams,  but  onward,  the 
depth  is  greater,  and  the  current  more  impetuous  in  its  joy. 
The  Christian  feels  that  he  may  delight  himself  not  only  in 
what  God  is,  but  also  in  all  that  God  has  done  in  the  past. 
The  Psalms  show  us  that  God's  people  in  olden  times  were 
wont  to  think  much  of  God's  actions,  and  to  have  a  song 
concerning  each  of  them.  So  let  God's  people  now  rehearse 
vhe  deeds  of  the  Lord  !  Let  them  tell  of  His  mighty  acts, 
and  "  sing  unto  the  Lord,  for  He  hath  triumphed  gloriously.'' 
Nor  let  them  ever  cease  to  sing,  for  as  new  mercies  flow  tc 
r^em  day  by  day,  so  should  their  gladness  in  the  Lord's 
r.ving  acts  in  providence  and  in  grace  show  itself  in  cou- 
tiuued  thanksgiving.  B;j  g?*''^,  yi  -children  of  Zion,  aca 
rejoice  in  the  Lord  yo:.r  Go«i. 


Sept.   Z;{.  HAILT    RKADINGS.  '207 

"Accepted  in  the  beloved."  —  Ephcsiaiis  i.  G. 

^jJ^j^JIAT  a  state  of  privilege  !  It  includes  our  yastifica' 
%jl]^h  i^07i  before  God  ;  but  the  term  "  acceptance,"  in  the 
'^^"^  Greek,  means  more  than  that.  It  pignifies  that  we 
arc  the  objects  of  divine  complacency,  nay,  even  of  divin* 
delight.  How  marvellous  that  we,  worms,  mortals,  sinners, 
should  be  the  objects  of  divine  love  !  But  it  is  only  "  in  the 
beloved.''  Some  Christians  seem  to  be  accepted  in  their  own 
experience;  at  least,  that  is  their  apprehension.  When  their 
spirit  is  lively,  and  their  hopes  bright,  they  think  God  ac- 
cepts them,  for  they  feel  so  high,  so  heavenly-minded,  so 
drawn  above  the  earth  !  But  when  their  souls  cleave  to  the 
dust,  they  are  the  victims  of  the  fear  that  they  are  no  longer 
accepted.  If  they  could  but  see  that  all  their  high  joys  do 
not  exalt  them,  and  all  their  low  despondencies  do  not  really 
depress  them  in  their  Father's  siglit,  but  that  they  stand 
accepted  in  One  who  never  alters,  in  One  who  is  always  the 
beloved  of  God,  always  perfect,  always  without  spot  or  wrin 
kle,  or  any  such  thing,  how  much  happier  they  would  be, 
and  how  much  more  they  would  honor  the  Saviour  !  Bejoice 
then,  believer,  in  this  :  tliou  art  accepted  "  in  the  beloved." 
Thou  lookest  within,  and  thou  sayest,  "There  is  nothing 
acceptable  here  ! "  But  look  at  Christ,  and  see  if  there  i? 
not  everything  acceptable  there.  Thy  sins  trouble  thee  ;  bu 
God  has  cast  thy  sins  behind  His  back,  and  thou  art  accepte<^ 
in  the  Bighteous  One.  Thou  hast  to  fight  with  corruption, 
and  to  wrestle  with  temptation,  but  thou  art  already  accepted 
in  Ilim  who  has  overcome  the  powers  of  evil.  The  devil 
tempts  thee  :  be  of  good  cheer,  he  cannot  destroy  thee,  for 
thou  art  accepted  in  Ilim  who  has  broken  Satan's  head. 
Know  by  full  assurance  th}'^  glorious  standing.  Even  glori- 
fied souls  are  not  more  accepted  than  thou  art.  They  arc 
only  accepted  in  heaven  "  in  the  beloved,"  and  thou  art  pveo 
now  acccpt(>d  in  Christ  after  the  same  manner. 


2ZS  DAILY   HEADINGS.  Sept.  ^4 

"  For  I  teas  ashamed  to  require  of  the  Icing  a  band  of  soldiers  and 
horsemen  to  help  vs  against  the  "uemy  in  tlie  waij ;  because  wf 
had  spoken  unto  the  king,  saying,  J%e  hand  of  02ir  God  is  upon 
all  them,  for  good  that  seek  Ilim  ;  but  His  power  and  His  wrath 
is  against  all  them  that  forsake  Him."  — Ezra  viii.  22. 

^  CONVOY  on  many  accounts  would  have  been  desira- 
Y^,  ble  for  the  pilgrim  band,  but  a  holy  shi  me-facedness 
^^^  would  not  allow  Ezra  to  seek  one.  He  feared  lest 
the  heathen  king  should  think  his  professions  of  faith  in  God 
sO  be  mere  hypocrisy,  or  imagine  that  the  Grod  of  Israel  was 
not  able  to  preserve  His  own  worshippers.  He  could  not 
bring  his  mind  to  lean  on  an  arm  of  flesh  in  a  matter  so  evi- 
dently of  the  Lord,  and  therefore  the  caravan  set  out  with  no 
visible  protection,  guarded  by  Him  who  is  the  sword  and 
shield  of  His  people.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  few  believers 
feel  this  holy  jealousy  for  God  ;  even  those  who  in  a  measure 
walk  by  faith,  occasionally  mar  the  lustre  of  their  life  by 
cravino;  aid  from  man.  It  is  a  most  blessed  thinfj'  to  have 
no  props  and  no  buttresses,  but  to  stand  upright  on  the  Rock 
of  Ages,  upheld  by  the  Lord  alone.  Would  any  believers 
seek  state-endowments  for  their  Church,  if  they  remembered 
that  the  Lord  is  dishonored  by  their  asking  Caesar's  aid  ?  as 
if  the  Lord  could  not  supply  the  needs  of  His  own  cause  ! 
Should  we  run  so  hastily  to  friends  and  relations  for  assist- 
ance, if  we  remembered  that  the  Lord  is  magnified  by  our 
implicit  reliance  upon  His  solitary  arm  ?  My  soul,  wait  thou 
only  upon  God.  "  But,"  says  one,  "  are  not  means  to  be 
used  ?  "  Assuredly  they  are  ;  but  our  fault  seldom  lies  in 
their  neglect :  far  more  frequently  it  springs  out  of  foolishly 
believing  in  them,  instead  of  believing  in  God.  Few  run  too 
far  in  neglecting  the  creature's  arm  ;  but  very  many  sin 
greatly  in  making  too  much  of  it.  Learn,  dear  reader,  to 
{glorify  the  Lord  by  leaving  no  means  untried,  if  by  using 
liicm  thou  wouldst  not  dishonor  the  name  of  the  Lord. 


Sept.  25.  Daily  feEAbtl^Gs.  S6\» 

"  Just,  nnd  the  justijier  cf  him  which  believeih."  —  Romans  iii.  26. 

U'][NGr  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God. 
Conscience  accuses  no  longer.     Judgment  now  de- 


cides for  the  sinner  instead  of  a^'ainst  liiin.  Memory 
looks  back  upon  past  sins,  with  deep  sorrow  for  the  sin,  biil 
yet  with  no  dread  of  any  penalty  to  come  ;  for  Christ  has 
paid  the  debt  of  His  people  to  the  last  jot  and  tittle,  and  re- 
ceived the  divine  receipt ;  and  unless  God  can  be  so  unjust 
as  to  demand  double  payment  for  one  debt,  no  soul  for  whon 
Jesus  died  as  a  substitute  can  ever  be  sent  into  hell.  It 
seems  to  be  one  of  the  very  principles  of  our  enlightened 
nature  to  believe  that  God  is  just ;  we  feel  that  it  must  be 
so,  and  this  gives  us  our  terror  at  first ;  but  is  it  not  marvel 
lous  that  this  very  same  belief  that  God  is  just,  become, 
afterwards  the  pillar  of  our  confidence  and  peace  !  If  God 
be  just,  i,  a  sinner,  alone  and  without  a  substitute,  must  be 
punished  ;  but  Jesus  stands  in  my  stead,  and  is  punished  for 
me  ;  and  now,  if  God  be  just,  I,  a  sinner,  standing  in  Christ, 
c^n  never  be  punished.  God  must  change  his  nature  before 
one  soul,  for  whom  Jesus  was  a  substitute,  can  ever  by  any 
possibility  suffer  the  lash  of  the  law.  Therefore,  Jesus  hav- 
ing taken  the  place  of  the  believer,  having  rendered  a  full 
equivalent  to  divine  wrath  for  all  that  His  people  ought  to 
have  sufi"ered  as  the  result  of  sin,  the  believer  can  shout  with 
glorious  triumph,  "  Who  shall  lay  anything  to  the  charge  oC 
God's  elect?"  Not  God,  for  He  hath  justified  ;  not  Christ, 
for  He  hath  died,  "  yea,  rather,  hath  risen  again."  My  hop? 
lives,  not  because  I  am  not  a  sinner,  but  because  I  am  a  sin- 
ner for  whom  Christ  died  ;  my  trust  is  not  that  I  am  holy, 
but  that,  being  unholy.  He  is  my  righteousness.  My  fait\ 
rests  not  upon  what  I  am,  or  shall  be,  or  feel,  or  know,  bu» 
in  what  Christ  is,  in  what  He  has  done,  and  in  what  He  ii 
now  doing  for  me.  On  the  lion  of  justice  the  fair  maid  of 
hope  rides  like  a  queea. 
23  • 


&7d  DAILY   KfiADiNGS.  Sept.  26. 

"  The  myrtle  trees  that  were  in  the  bottom."  —  Zechariah  i.  8. 

"^HE  vision  in  this  chapter  describes  the  condition  jf 
M^U  Israel  in  Zechariah's  day ;  but  being  interpreted  in 
its  aspect  towards  ns,  it  describes  the  Church  of  God 
as  we  find  it  now  in  the  world.  The  Church  is  compared  If 
a  myrtle  grove  flourishing  in  a  valley.  It  is  hidden,  unob 
served,  secreted  ;  courting  no  honor  and  attracting  no  obser- 
vation from  the  careless  gazer.  The  Church,  like  her  Head, 
has  a  glory,  but  it  is  concealed  from  carnal  eyes,  for  the  time 
of  her  breaking  forth  in  all  her  splendor  is  not  yet  come. 
The  idea  of  tranquil  security  is  also  suggested  to  us ;  for  the 
myrtle  grove  in  the  valley  is  still  and  calm,  while  the  storm 
sweeps  over  the  mountain  summits.  Tempests  spend  their 
force  upon  the  craggy  peaks  of  the  Alps,  but  down  yonder, 
where  flows  the  stream  which  maketh  glad  the  city  of  our 
God,  the  myrtles  flourish  by  the  still  waters,  all  unshaken  by 
the  impetuous  wind  How  great  is  the  inward  tranquillity 
of  God's  Church  !  Even  when  opposed  and  pcsecuted,  she 
has  a  peace  which  the  world  gives  not,  and  which,  therefore, 
it  cannot  take  away  the  peace  of  God  which  passeth  all 
understanding  keeps  the  hearts  and  minds  of  God's  people. 
I>G^s  not  th«'  metaphor  forcibly  picture  the  peaceful,  per- 
ftlual  jrowth  of  the  saints  ?  The  myrtle  sheds  not  her 
Jeaves  •,  she  is  always  green ;  and  the  Church,  in  her  worst 
time,  still  hath  a  blessed  verdure  of  grace  about  her;  nay, 
she  has  sometimes  exhibited  most  verdure  when  her  winter 
has  been  sharpest.  She  has  prospered  most  when  her  ad- 
versities have  been  most  severe.  Hence  the  text  hints  at 
victory.  The  myrtle  is  the  emblem  of  peace,  and  a  signifi- 
cant token  of  triumph.  The  brows  of  conquerors  were  bound 
with  myrtle  and  with  laurel ;  and  is  not  the  Church  ever  vic- 
torious r  Is  not  every  Christian  more  than  a  conqueroi 
fchr  ugh  Him  that  loved  him  ?  Living  in  peace,  do  not  tht 
saints  fall  asleep  in  the  arms  of  victory  ? 


j<ept.  2*.  i>Ati.V  fttAblii6^.  fill 

"  Tlnppy  art  thou,  0  Inracl ;  who  is  lilce  initc  thee,  0  people  saved 
b;/  the  Lord  ?  "  —  Deuteronomy  xxxiii.  29. 

fi^E  who  affirms  that  Christianity  makes  men  miserable, 
^^  is  himself  an  utter  stranger  to  it.  It  were  strange 
indeed  if  it  made  us  wretched  ;  for  see  to  what  a  po- 
tition  it  exalts  tis  !  It  makes  us  sons  of  God.  Suppose  you 
that  God  will  give  all  the  happiness  to  His  enemies,  and  re- 
serve all  the  mourning  for  His  own  family  ?  Shall  His  foes 
have  mirth  and  joy,  and  shall  His  home-born  children  inherit 
sorrow  and  wretchedness  ?  Shall  the  sinner,  who  has  no  part 
in  Christ,  call  himself  rich  in  happiness,  and  shall  we  go 
mourning  as  if  we  were  penniless  beggars  ?  No,  we  will  re- 
joice in  the  Lord  always,  and  glory  in  our  inheritance,  for  we 
"  have  not  received  the  spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear  ;  but 
we  have  received  the  Spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  we  cry, 
Abba,  Father."  The  rod  of  chastisement  must  rest  upon  us 
in  our  measure,  but  it  worketh  for  us  the  comfortable  fruits 
of  righteousness;  and  therefore,  by  the  aid  of  the  divine  Com- 
forter, we,  the  "  people  saved  of  the  Lord,"  will  joy  in  the 
God  of  our  salvation.  We  are  married  unto  Christ ;  and  shall 
our  great  Bridegroom  permit  His  spouse  to  linger  in  constant 
grief  ?  Our  hearts  are  knit  unto  Him  ;  we  are  His  members  ; 
and  though  for  a  while  we  may  suffer  as  our  Head  once  suf- 
fered, yet  we  are  even  now  blessed  with  heavenly  blessings 
in  Him.  We  have  the  earnest  of  our  inheritance  in  the  com- 
forts of  the  Spirit,  which  are  neither  few  nor  small.  Her- 
itors of  joy  forever,  we  have  foretastes  of  our  portion.  There 
are  streaks  of  the  light  of  joy  to  herald  our  eternal  sunrising. 
Our  ric'jes  are  beyond  the  sea ;  our  city  with  fii-m  foundations 
lies  on  the  other  side  the  river ;  gleams  ox  gioi^  from  the 
epirit-world  cheer  our  hearts,  and  urge  us  onward.  Ti-uly  is 
it  said  of  us,  "  Happy  art  thou,  0  Isra'tl  •  who  is  iiiic  •luto 
thee,  0  people  saved  by  the  Lord  ' " 


^72  bAiLY  KiiAbiNGs.  Seot.  lift 


"  The  Lord  lookethfrom  heaven.   Re  beholdcth  all  the  sons  of  men." 
Psalm  xxxiii.  13. 


Jj^ERHAPS  no  tigure  of  speech  represents  God  in  a 
;^|  more  gracious  light  than  when  He  is  spoken  of  af 
stooping  from  His  throne,  and  coming  down  from 
heaven  to  attend  to  the  wants  and  to  behol<]  the  woes  of  uan- 
kind.  We  love  Him,  who,  when  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  were 
full  of  iniquity,  would  not  destroy  those  cities  until  He  had 
made  a  personal  visitation  of  them.  We  cannot  help  pour- 
ing out  our  heart  in  affection  for  our  Lord,  who  inclines  his 
ear  from  the  highest  glory,  and  puts  it  to  the  lip  of  the  dying 
sinner,  whose  failing  heart  longs  after  reconciliation.  How 
can  we  but  love  Him,  when  we  know  that  He  numbers  the 
very  hairs  of  our  heads,  marks  our  path,  and  orders  our  ways  ? 
Specially  is  this  great  truth  brought  near  to  our  heart,  when 
we  recollect  how  attentive  He  is,  not  merely  to  the  temporal 
interests  of  His  creatures,  but  to  their  spiritual  concerns. 
Though  leagues  of  distance  lie  between  the  finite  creature 
and  the  infinite  Creator,  yet  there  are  links  uniting  both. 
When  a  tear  is  wept  by  thee,  think  not  that  God  doth  not 
behold ;  for,  "  like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the 
Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  Him."  Thy  sigh  is  able  to  move 
the  heart  of  Jehovah  ;  thy  whisper  can  incline  His  ear  unto 
thee  ;  thy  prayer  can  stay  His  hand  ;  thy  faith  can  move  His 
arm.  Think  not  that  God  sits  on  high  taking  no  account  of 
thee.  Eemember  that  howuver  poor  and  needy  thou  art,  yet 
ihc  Lord  thinketh  upon  thee.  For  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  run 
to  and  fro  throughout  the  whole  earth,  to  show  Himself  strong 
in  the  behalf  of  them  whose  heart  is  perfect  towards  Rim 

"  Oh !  then  repeat  the  truth  that  never  tires ; 
No  God  is  like  the  God  my  soul  desires  ; 
He  at  whose  voice  heaven  trembles,  even  IIe_ 
Great  as  He  is,  knutcs  hou>  to  stoop  to  me." 


bepl     -J.  1)A1LY    nEADIN*GS.  'i73 

"  Behold,  if  the  leprosy  have  covered  all  hisjlesh,  he  shall  vrono\.nci 
him  clean  that  hath  the  jilague." —  Leviticus  xiii.  13. 

^iiS'TRANGE  enough  this  regulation  appears ;  yet  there 
was  wisdom  iu  it,  for  the  throwing  out  of  the  disease 
proved  that  the  constitution  was  sound.  This  morn- 
ing it  may  be  well  for  us  to  see  the  typical  teaching  of  so  sin- 
gular a  rule.  We,  too,  are  lepers,  and  may  read  the  law  of 
leper  as  applicable  to  ourselves.  When  a  man  sees  himself 
to  be  altogether  lost  and  ruined,  covered  all  over  with  the 
defilement  of  sin,  and  no  part  free  from  pollution  ;  when  he 
disclaims  all  righteousness  of  his  own,  and  pleads  guilty  be- 
fore the  Lord ;  then  is  he  clean  through  the  blood  of  Jesus, 
and  the  grace  of  God.  Hidden,  uufclt,  unconfcsscd  iniquity 
is  the  true  leprosy ;  but  when  sin  is  seen  and  felt,  it  has  re- 
ceived its  death-blow,  and  the  Lord  looks  with  eyes  of  mercy 
upon  the  soul  afflicted  with  it.  Nothing  is  more  deadly  than 
self-righteousness,  or  more  hopeful  than  contrition.  We 
must  confess  that  we  are  "  nothing  else  but  sin,"  for  no  con- 
fession short  of  this  will  be  the  whole  truth  ;  and  if  the  Holy 
Spirit  be  at  work  with  us,  convincing  us  of  sin,  there  will  be 
no  difficulty  about  making  such  an  acknowledgment  —  it  will 
spring  spontaneously  from  our  lips.  What  comfort  does  the 
text  afford  to  those  under  a  deep  sense  of  sin  !  Sin  mourned 
and  confessed,  however  black  and  foul,  shall  never  shut  a 
man  out  from  the  Lord  Jesus.  Whosoever  cometh  unto  Ilim, 
He  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.  Though  dishonest  as  the  thief, 
though  unchaste  as  the  woman  who  was  a  sinner,  thougl 
fierce  as  Saul  of  Tarsus,  though  cruel  as  Manassch  though 
rebellious  as  the  prodigal,  the  great  heart  of  luv»-  will  look 
upon  the  man  who  feels  himself  to  have  no  soundness  in  him, 
and  will  pronounce  him  clean,  when  he  trusts  in  Jo.«ui.  cruci- 
fisd.     Come  to  Him,  then,  poor  heavy-laden  sinner, 

"Come  needy,  come  guilty  come  loathaome  und  Od'p; 
You  can't  come  too  filthy  -come  just  as  you  are." 


2?4  DAitt   EE.Lt)ItfGS.  Sepi    30. 

"  Sing  forth  the  honor  of  His  name,  make  His  praise  glortoug." 
Psalm  Ixvi.  2. 


fX^T  is  not  left  to  our  own  option  whether  we  shall  prai«e 
w]  God  or  not.  Praise  is  God's  most  righteous  due, 
and  every  Christian,  as  the  recipient  of  His  grace,  ia 
bound  to  praise  God  from  day  to  day.  It  is  true  we  have  no 
authoritative  rubric  for  daily  praise ;  we  have  no  command- 
ment prescribing  certain  hoiirs  of  song  and  thanksgiving  ;  but 
the  law  written  upon  the  heart  teaches  us  that  it  is  right  to 
praise  God ;  and  the  unwritten  mandate  comes  to  us  with  as 
much  force  as  if  it  had  been  recorded  on  the  tables  of  stone, 
or  handed  to  us  from  the  top  of  thundering  Sinai.  Yes,  it  is 
the  Christian's  duty  to  praise  God.  It  is  not  only  a  pleasur- 
able exercise,  but  it  is  the  absolute  obligation  of  his  life. 
Think  not,  ye  who  are  always  mourning,  that  ye  are  guiltless 
in  this  respect,  or  imagine  that  ye  can  discharge  your  duty 
to  your  God  without  songs  of  praise.  You  are  bound  by  the 
bonds  of  His  love  to  bless  His  name  so  long  as  you  live,  and 
His  praise  should  continually  be  in  your  mouth,  for  you  are 
blessed  in  order  that  you  may  bless  Him  ;  "  this  people  have 
I  formed  for  myself;  they  shall  show  forth  my  praise  ;  "  and 
if  you  do  not  praise  God,  you  are  not  bringing  forth  the  fruit 
which  He,  as  the  Divine  Husbandman,  has  a  right  to  expect 
at  your  hands.  Let  not  your  harp  then  hang  upon  the  wil- 
lows, but  take  it  down,  and  strive,  with  a  grateful  heart,  to 
bring  forth  its  loudest  music.  Arise  and  chant  His  praise. 
With  every  morning's  dawn,  lift  up  your  notes  of  thanksgiv- 
ing, and  let  every  setting  sun  be  followed  with  your  song. 
Grirdle  the  earth  with  your  praises ;  surround  it  with  an  at- 
mosphere of  melody,  and  God  Himself  will  hearken  from 
heaven  and  accept  your  music. 

"E'en  so  I  love  Thee,  and  will  lore, 
And  in  Thy  praise  will  sing, 
Because  Thou  art  my  loving  God, 
And  mj  redeeming  King." 


Oct.  I.  ixMi.v  ur.ADiNOs.  215 

**  Pleasant  fruits,  new  and  old,  vhirh  I  have  laid  up  for  thee,  O  tnif 
bcluved." — Canticles  vii.  13. 

"^^IIE  spouse  desires  to  give  to  Je'Sus  all  that  she  pro* 
^^  duces.  Our  heart  has  "  all  manner  of  pleasant 
fruits,"  both  "  new  and  old,"  and  they  are  laid  up 
for  our  Beloved.  At  this  rich  autumnal  season  of  fruit,  let 
as  s^irvey  our  stores.  We  have  neiv  fruits.  We  desire  to 
feel  new  life,  new  joy,  new  gratitude ;  we  wish  to  make  new 
resolves,  and  carry  them  out  by  new  labors  ;  our  heart  blos- 
soms with  new  prayers,  and  our  soul  is  pledging  herself  to 
new  efiforts.  But  we  have  some  old  fruits  too.  There  ia 
our  first  love  :  a  choice  fruit  that !  and  Jesus  delights  in  it. 
There  is  our  first  faith ;  that  simple  faith  by  which,  having 
nothing,  we  became  possessors  of  all  things.  There  is  our 
joy  when  first  we  knew  the  Lord  ;  let  us  revive  it.  We  have 
our  old  remembrances  of  the  promises.  How  faithful  has 
(rod  been  !  In  sickness,  how  softly  did  He  make  our  bed  ! 
In  deep  waters,  how  placidly  did  He  buoy  us  up  !  In  the 
flaming  furnace,  how  graciously  did  He  deliver  us !  Old 
fruits,  indeed  !  we  have  many  of  them,  for  His  mercies  have 
been  more  than  the  hairs  of  our  head.  Old  sins  we  must 
regret,  but  then  we  have  had  repentances  which  He  has 
given  us,  by  which  we  have  wept  our  way  to  the  cross, 
and  learned  the  merit  of  His  blood.  We  have  fruits,  this 
morning,  both  new  and  old  ;  but  here  is  the  point  —  they  are 
all  laid  up  for  Jesus.  Truly,  those  are  the  best  and  most 
acceptable  services  in  which  Jesus  is  the  solitary  aim  of  the 
soul,  and  His  glory,  without  any  admixture  whatever,  the 
end  of  all  our  efforts.  Let  our  many  fruits  be  laid  up  only 
for  our  Beloved ;  let  us  display  them  when  He  is  with  us, 
and  not  hold  them  up  before  the  gaze  of  men.  Jesus,  we 
will  turn  the  key  in  our  garden-door,  and  none  shall  enter 
to  rob  Thee  of  one  good  fruit  from  the  soil  which  Thou  hast 
watered  with  Thy  bloody  sweat.  Our  all  shall  be  Thine, 
Thine  only,  0  Jesus,  our  Beloved! 


2?6  Daily  readings.  Oct.  2. 


"  The  hope  which  is  laid  up  for  you  in  heaven."  —  Col.  i.  5. 

^UR  hope  in  Christ  for  the  future  is  the  mainspring 
and  the  m.iinstay  of  our  joy  here.  It  will  animate 
our  hearts  to  t'link  often  of  heaven,  for  all  that  we 
can  desire  is  promised  there.  Here  we  are  weary  and  toil- 
worn,  but  yonder  is  the  land  of  rest,  where  the  sweat  of  labor 
shall  no  more  bedew  the  worker's  brow,  and  fatigue  shall  be 
forever  banished.  To  those  who  are  weary  and  spent,  the 
word  "rest"  is  full  of  heaven.  We  are  always  in  the  field 
of  battle  ;  we  are  so  tempted  within,  and  so  molested  by  foes 
without,  that  we  have  little  or  no  peace  ;  but  in  heaven  we 
shall  enjoy  the  victory,  when  the  banner  shall  be  waved  aloft 
in  triumph,  and  the  sword  shall  be  sheathed,  and  we  shall 
hear  our  Captain  say,  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  ser- 
vant." We  have  suffered  bereavement  after  bereavement, 
but  we  are  going  to  the  land  of  the  immortal,  where  graves 
are  unknown  things.  Here  sin  is  a  constant  grief  to  us, 
but  there  we  shall  be  perfectly  holy,  for  there  shall  by  no 
means  enter  into  that  kingdom  anything  which  defileth. 
Hemlock  springs  not  up  in  the  furrows  of  celestial  fields. 
Oh !  is  it  not  joy  that  you  are  not  to  be  in  banishment  for- 
ever ?  that  you  are  not  to  dwell  eternally  in  this  wilderness, 
but  shall  soon  inherit  Canaan  ?  Nevertheless,  let  it  never 
be  said  of  us  that  we  are  dreaming  about  the  future,  and 
forgetting  the  present ;  let  the  future  sanctify  the  present  to 
highest  uses.  Through  the  Spirit  of  God,  the  hope  of  heaven 
is  the  most  potent  force  for  the  product  of  virtue ;  it  is  a 
fountain  of  joyous  effort ;  it  is  the  corner-stone  of  cheerful 
holiness.  The  man  who  has  this  hope  in  him  goes  about 
his  work  with  vigor,  for  the  joy  of  the  Lord  is  his  strength. 
He  fights  against  temptation  with  ardor,  for  the  hope  of  the 
Dext  world  repels  the  fiery  darts  of  the  adversary  He  can 
labor  without  present  reward,  for  he  looks  for  a  reward  in 
the  world  iD  come. 


Oct.  II  Daily  keadiugs.  277 


^Are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for 
them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation'^"  —  Heb.  i.  14. 

.  NOELS  are  the  unseen  attendants  of  the  saints  of 
<Joi;  they  bear  us  up  in  their  hands,  lest  we  dash 
our  foot  against  a  stone.  Loyalty  to  their  Lord  leads 
iheui  to  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  children  of  His  love ; 
they  rejoice  over  the  return  of  the  prodigal  to  his  father's 
house  below,  and  they  welcome  the  advent  of  the  believei 
to  the  King's  palace  above.  In  olden  times  the  sons  of  God 
were  favored  with  their  visible  appearance,  and  at  this  day, 
although  unseen  by  us,  heaven  is  still  opened,  and  the  angels 
of  God  ascend  and  descend  upon  the  Son  of  man,  that  they 
may  visit  the  heirs  of  salvation.  Seraphim  still  fly  with  live 
coals  from  off  the  altar  to  touch  the  lips  of  men  greatly  be- 
loved. If  our  eyes  could  be  opened,  we  should  see  horses 
of  fire  and  chariots  of  fire  about  the  servants  of  the  Lord ; 
for  we  have  come  to  an  innumerable  company  of  angels,  who 
arc  all  watchers  and  protectors  of  the  seed-royal.  Spenser's 
life  is  no  poetic  fiction,  where  he  sings,  — 

"  How  oft  do  they  with  golden  pinions  cleave 
The  flitting  skies,  like  flying  pursuivant, 
Against  foul  tiends  to  aid  us  militant !  " 

To  what  dignity  are  the  chosen  elevated  when  the  brilliant 
courtiers  of  heaven  become  their  willing  servitors !  Into 
what  communion  are  we  raised,  since  we  have  intercourse 
with  spotless  celestials !  How  well  are  we  defended,  since 
all  the  twenty  thousand  chariots  of  God  are  armed  for  our 
deliverance  !  To  whom  do  we  owe  all  this  ?  Let  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  be  forever  endeared  to  us,  for  through  Him  we 
are  made  to  sit  in  heavenly  places  far  above  principalitierj 
and  powers.  He  it  is  whose  camp  i:  round  about  them  that 
fear  Him ;  He  is  the  true  Michael  whose  foot  is  upon  the 
dragon.  All  hr.il,  Jesus  !  thou  Aug.)l  of  Jehovah's  preseuo9j 
to  Thee  this  family  offers  its  morning  vows. 
34 


^78  DAILY   HEADINGS.  Oct.  4. 


"At  evening  time  it  shall  be  light." —  Zechariah  xi'p  7. 

^FTENTTMES  we  look  forward  with  forebodings  to 
the  time  tf  old  age,  forgetful  that  at  eventid""  it  shall 
be  light.  To  many  saiuts,  old  age  is  the  choicest 
season  in  their  lives.  A  balmier  air  fans  the  mariner's  cheek 
as  he  nears  the  shore  of  immortality,  fewer  waves  ruffle  his 
sea,  quiet  reigns,  deep,  still,  and  solemn.  From  the  altar 
of  age  the  flashes  of  the  fire  of  youth  are  gone,  but  the  more 
real  flame  of  earnest  feeling  remains.  The  pilgrims  have 
reached  the  land  Beulah,  that  happy  country  whose  days  are 
as  the  days  of  heaven  upon  earth.  Angels  visit  it,  celestial 
gales  blow  over  it,  flowers  of  paradise  grow  in  it,  and  the 
air  is  filled  with  seraphic  music.  Some  dwell  here  for  years, 
and  others  come  to  it  but  a  few  hours  before  their  departure, 
but  it  is  an  Eden  on  earth.  We  may  well  long  for  the  time 
when  we  shall  recline  in  its  shady  groves,  and  be  satisfied 
with  hope  until  the  time  of  fruition  comes.  The  setting  sun 
seems  larger  than  when  aloft  in  the  shy,  and  a  splendor  of 
glory  tinges  all  the  clouds  which  surround  his  going  down. 
Pain  breaks  not  the  calm  of  the  sweet  twilight  of  age,  for 
strength  made  perfect  in  weakness  bears  up  with  patience 
under  it  all.  Ripe  fruits  of  choice  experience  are  gathered 
as  the  rare  repast  of  life's  evening,  and  the  soul  prepares 
itself  for  rest.  The  Lord's  people  shall  also  enjoy  light  in 
the  hour  of  death.  Unbelief  laments  :  the  shadows  fall,  the 
night  is  coming,  existence  is  ending.  Ah,  no,  crieth  faith, 
the  night  is  far  spent,  the  true  day  is  at  hand.  Light  is 
come,  the  light  of  immortality,  the  light  of  a  Father's  coun- 
tenance. Gather  up  thy  feet  in  the  bed,  see  the  waiting 
Land  of  spirits !  Angels  waft  thee  away.  Farewell,  be- 
loved one  ;  thou  art  gone,  thou  wavest  thine  hand.  Ah, 
now  it  is  light.  The  pearly  gates  are  open,  the  goldeii 
streets  shine  in  the  jasper  light.  We  cover  our  eyes,  bu> 
thou  bchuldc^t  ihc  unseen.  Adieu,  brother:  thou  hast  lighi 
at  erentide,  such  as  we  have  not  jet. 


Oct.   6.  DAILY    REAIJINGS.  279 


"  JTe  arose,  and  did  eat  and  drink,  and  we7it  in  ilie  strenr/tk  of  thai 
meitfortij  days  andfortij  nifjlils." —  1  Kings  xix.  8. 

j[^LL  the  strength  supplied  to  us  by  our  gracious  (rod 
\%  is  meant  for  service,  not  for  wantonness  or  boasting. 
"When  the  prophet  Elijah  found  the  cake  baked  on 
the  coals,  and  the  cruse  of  water  placed  at  his  head,  as  he  lay 
under  the  juniper  tree,  he  was  no  gentleman  to  be  gratified 
with  dainty  fare,  that  he  might  stretch  himself  at  his  ease  ;  far 
otherwise,  he  was  comnnssioned  to  go  forty  days  and  forty 
nights  in  the  strength  of  it,  journeying  towards  Horeb,  the 
mount  of  God.  When  the  Master  invited  the  disciples  to 
"come  and  dine"  with  Him,  after  the  feast  was  concluded 
Tie  said  to  Peter,  "  Feed  my  sheep  ;  "  further  adding,  "  Fol- 
low me."  Even  thus  it  is  with  us  :  we  eat  the  bread  of  heav- 
en, that  we  may  expend  our  strength  in  the  Master's  service. 
We  come  to  the  passover,  and  eat  of  the  paschal  lamb  with 
loins  girt,  and  staff  in  hand,  so  as  to  start  off  at  once  when 
we  have  satisfied  our  hunger.  Some  Christians  are  for  liv- 
ing on  Christ,  but  are  not  so  anxious  to  live  for  Christ. 
Earth  should  be  a  preparation  for  heaven  ;  and  heaven  is 
the  place  where  saints  feast  most  and  work  most.  They  sit 
down  at  the  table  of  our  Lord,  and  they  serve  Him  day  and 
night  in  Ilis  temple.  They  cat  of  heavenly  food,  and  render 
perfect  service.  Believer,  in  the  strength  you  daily  gain 
from  Christ,  labor  for  Ilim.  Some  of  us  have  yet  to  learn 
much  concerning  the  design  of  our  Lord  in  giving  us  His 
grace.  We  are  not  to  retain  the  precious  grains  of  truth  as 
the  Egyptian  mummy  held  the  wheat,  for  ages  without  giving 
it  an  opportunity  to  grow:  we  must  sow  it  and  water  it.  Whv 
does  the  Lord  send  down  the  rain  upon  the  thirsty  earth,  and 
Qjive  the  genial  sunshine  ?  Is  it  not  that  these  may  all  help 
the  fruits  of  the  earth  to  yield  food  for  man  ?  Even  so  the 
Iiord  feeds  and  refreshes  our  souls,  that  we  may  afterwards 
use  our  renewed  strength  in  the  promotion  of  His  glory. 


280  DAILY    REAWNG3.  "        Oct.   6, 


"  Whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  thai  I  shall  give  him  shall  nevei 
thirst."  —  John  iv.  14. 


^E  who  is  a  believer  in  Jesus  finds  enough  in  his  Iiord 

i 


"  to  satisfy  him  now,  and  to  content  him  foievermore. 


The  believer  is  not  the  man  whose  days  are  weary 
for  want  of  comfort,  and  whose  nights  are  long  from  absence 
of  heart-cheering  thought,  for  he  finds  in  religion  such  a 
spring  of  joy,  such  a  fountain  of  consolation,  that  he  is  con- 
tent and  happy.  Put  him  in  a  dungeon,  and  he  will  find  good 
company ;  place  him  in  a  barren  wilderness,  he  will  eat  the 
bread  of  heaven ;  drive  him  away  from  friendship,  he  will 
meet  the  "  friend  that  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother."  Blast 
all  his  gourds,  and  he  will  find  shadow  beneath  the  Rock  of 
Ages  ;  sap  the  foundation  of  his  earthly  hopes,  but  his  heart 
will  still  be  fixed,  trusting  in  the  Lord.  The  heart  is  as  in- 
satiable as  the  grave  till  Jesus  enters  it,  and  then  it  is  a  cup 
full  to  overflowing.  There  is  such  a  fulness  in  Christ  that 
He  alone  is  the  believer's  all.  The  true  saint  is  so  com- 
pletely satisfied  with  the  all-sufficiency  of  Jesus,  that  he  thirsts 
no  more,  except  it  be  for  deeper  draughts  of  the  living  foun- 
tain. In  that  sweet  manner,  believer,  shalt  thou  thirst ;  it 
shall  not  be  the  thirst  of  pain,  but  of  loving  desire ;  thou 
wilt  find  it  a  sweet  thing  to  be  panting  after  a  fuller  enjoy- 
ment of  Jesus'  love.  One  in  days  of  yore  said,  "  I  have  been 
sinking  my  bucket  down  into  the  well  full  often,  but  now  my 
'hirst  after  Jesus  has  become  so  insatiable,  that  I  long  to 
put  the  well  itself  to  my  lips,  and  drink  right  on."  Is  this 
the  feeling  of  thine  heart  now,  believer  ?  Dost  thou  feel  that 
all  thy  desires  are  satisfied  in  Jesus,  and  that  thou  hast  no 
want  now  but  to  know  more  of  Him,  and  to  have  closer  fel- 
lowship with  Ilim  ?  Then  come  continually  to  the  fountain, 
and  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely.  Jesus  will  never  thiuk 
you  take  too  much,  but  will  ever  welcome  you,  saying. 
*'  Drink,  yea,  drink  abundantly,  0  beloved." 


Oct.   7.  DAILY    READINGS.  i8i 

*^  Wherefore  hast  Thou  afflicted  Thy  servant^" — Numbers  xi.  11. 

■^UR  heavenly  Father  sends  us  frequent  troubles  to  try 
i>  oar  faith.  If  our  faith  be  worth  anything,  it  will 
^  stand  the  test.  Gilt  is  afraid  of  fire,  but  gold  is 
fl  jt ;  the  faste  gem  dreads  to  be  touched  by  the  diamond, 
bat  the  true  jewel  fears  no  test.  It  is  a  poor  faith  which 
can  only  trust  God  when  friends  are  true,  the  body  full  of 
I  ealth,  and  the  business  profitable  ;  but  that  is  true  faith 
which  holds  by  the  Lord's  faithfulness  when  f'-iends  are  gone, 
when  the  body  is  sick,  when  spirits  are  depressed,  and  the 
light  of  our  Father's  countenance  is  hidden.  A  faith  which 
ian  say,  in  the  direst  trouble,  "  Though  He  slay  me,  yet  will 
[  trust  in  Ilini,"  is  heaven-born  faith.  The  Lord  aflJicts  Hia 
servants  to  glorify  Himself,  for  He  is  greatly  glorified  in  the 
graces  of  His  people,  which  are  His  own  handiwork.  When 
■'tribulation  worketh  patience;  and  patience,  experience; 
and  experience,  hope,"  the  Lord  is  honored  b}'  these  grow- 
ing virtues.  We  should  never  know  the  music  of  the  harp 
if  the  strings  were  left  untouched  ;  nor  enjoy  the  juice  of  the 
grape  if  it  were  not  trodden  in  the  wine-press ;  nor  discover 
the  sweet  perfume  of  cinnamon  if  it  were  not  pressed  and 
beaten  ;  nor  feel  the  warmth  of  fire  if  the  coals  were  not 
utterly  consumed.  The  wisdom  and  power  of  the  great 
Workman  are  discovered  by  the  trials  through  which  Hia 
vessels  of  mercy  are  permitted  to  pass.  Present  afflictions 
tend  also  to  heighten  future  joy.  There  must  be  shades  in  the 
picture  to  bring  out  the  beauty  of  the  lights.  Could  we  be 
BO  supremely  blessed  in  heaven,  if  we  had  not  known  the 
curse  of  sin  and  the  sorrow  of  earth?  Will  not  peace  be 
Bwceter  after  conflict,  and  rest  more  welcome  after  toil  ? 
Will  not  the  recollection  of  past  sufi"crings  enhance  the  bliss 
of  the  glorified  ?  There  are  many  other  comfortable  answers 
lo  the  question  with  which  we  opened  our  brief  meditation: 
let  us  muse  upon  it  all  day  l:ng. 
24* 


882  DAILY    HEADINGS.  Oct.  8. 


"  Launch  out  into  th«  deep,  mid  let  down  your  nets  for  a  draught.^ 
Luke  V.  4. 

A|Jl|j4i[E  learn  from  this  narrative  the  necessity  of  human 
M\ffm  agency.  The  draught  of  fishes  was  miraculous,  yet 
^^'^  neither  the  fisherman,  nor  his  boat,  nor  his  ishing 
tackle,  were  ignored,  but  all  were  used  to  take  the  fishes. 
8o  in  the  saving  of  souls,  God  worketh  by  means  ;  and  while 
the  present  economy  of  grace  shall  stand,  God  will  be  pleased 
by  the  foolishness  of  preaching  to  save  them  that  believe. 
When  God  worketh  without  instruments,  doubtless  He  is 
glorified ;  but  He  hath  Himself  selected  the  plan  of  instru- 
mentality as  being  that  by  which  He  is  most  magnified  in  the 
earth.  3Ieans  of  themselves  are  utterly  unavailing.  "  Master, 
we  have  toiled  all  the  night  and  have  taken  nothing."  What 
was  the  reason  of  this  ?  Were  they  not  fishermen  plying 
their  special  calling  ?  Verily,  they  were  no  raw  hands  ;  they 
understood  the  work.  Had  they  gone  about  the  toil  unskil- 
fully ?  No.  Had  they  lacked  industry  ?  No ;  they  had 
toiled.  Had  they  lacked  perseverance  ?  No ;  they  had 
toiled  all  the  night.  Was  there  a  deficiency  of  fish  in  the 
sea  ?  Certainly  not,  for  as  soon  as  the  Master  came,  they 
swam  to  the  net  in  shoals.  What,  then,  is  the  reason  ?  Is 
it  because  there  is  no  power  in  the  means  of  themselves 
apart  from  the  presence  of  Jesus  ?  "  Without  Him  we  can 
do  nothing."  But  with  Christ  we  can  do  all  things.  Christ's 
presence  confers  success,  Jesus  sat  in  Peter's  boat,  and  His 
will,  by  a  mysterious  influence,  drew  the  fish  to  the  net. 
When  Jesus  is  lifted  up  in  His  Church,  His  presence  is  the 
Church's  power  —  the  shout  of  a  King  is  in  the  midst  of  her. 
"  I,  if  1  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me."  Let  us 
go  out  this  morning  on  our  work  of  soul-fishing,  looking  up 
in  faith,  and  around  us  in  solemn  anxiety.  Let  us  toil  till 
night  comes,  and  we  shall  not  labor  in  vain,  for  He  who  bids 
as  let  down  the  n^t,  will  fill  it  with  fishte 


Oct.  9.  DAILY    EEADIXGS.  283 


"Able  to  keep  you  from  falling."  —  Jude  24 

^?^^?^N  some  sense  the  path  to  heaven  is  verj  safe,  but  in 
L^<1  v^  otlier  respects  there  is  no  road  so  darigerohs.  It  is 
•/j^tey  beset  with  difficulties.  One  fal.se  step  (and  how 
easy  it  is  to  take  that,  if  grace  be  absent !)  and  down  we  go. 
What  a  slippery  path  is  tha,t  which  some  of  us  have  to  tread! 
How  many  times  have  we  to  exclaim  with  the  Psalmiit,  "My 
feet  were  almost  gone ;  my  steps  had  well  nigh  slipped."  If 
we  were  strong,  sure-footed  mountaineers,  this  would  not 
matter  so  much  ;  but  in  ourselves,  how  ivealc  we  are  !  In  the 
best  roads  we  soon  falter,  in  the  smoothest  paths  we  quickly 
stumble.  These  feeble  knees  of  ours  can  scarcely  support 
our  tottering  weight.  A  straw  may  throw  us,  and  a  pebble 
can  wound  us ;  we  arc  mere  children  tremblingly  taking  our 
first  steps  in  the  walk  of  faith  ;  our  heavenly  Father  holds  us 
by  the  arms,  or  we  should  soon  be  down.  Oh,  if  we  are  kept 
from  falling,  how  must  we  bless  the  patient  power  which 
watches  over  us  day  by  day !  Think  how  prone  we  are  to 
sin,  how  apt  to  choose  danger,  how  strong  our  tendency  to 
cast  ourselves  down,  and  these  reflections  will  make  us  sing 
more  sweetly  than  we  have  ever  done,  "  Glory  be  to  Him 
who  is  able  to  keep  us  from  falling."  We  have  many  foes  who 
try  to  pusli  us  down.  The  road  is  rough,  and  we  arc  weak ; 
but  in  addition  to  this,  enemies  lurk  in  ambush,  who  rush 
out  when  we  least  expect  them,  and  labor  to  trip  us  up,  or 
hurl  us  down  the  nearest  precipice.  Only  an  Almighty  arm 
c?n  preserve  us  from  these  unseen  foes,  who  are  seeking  to 
destroy  us.  Such  an  arm  is  engaged  for  our  defence.  He  is 
faithful  that  hath  promised,  and  He  is  able  to  keep  us  from 
falling;  so  that,  with  a  deep  sense  of  our  utter  weakness,  we 
miy  cherish  a  firm  belief  in  our  perfect  safety,  aiid  say,  with 
joyful  confidence, — 

"  Against  mc  earth  and  hell  combine, 
But  on  my  side  is  po.vcr  divine ; 
Jesus  is  "W  and  He  is  mine ! " 


284  BAILT    READINGS.  Oct.   IX). 

"  FauWess  before  the  presence  of  His  glory." — Jude  24. 


we  shall  reach  it  one  day.  The  Saviour  who  will  keep  Hla 
people  to  the  end,  will  also  present  them  at  last  to  Himself, 
as  "  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot,  ;r  wrinkle,  or  any 
such  thing,  but  holy  and  without  blemish."  All  the  jeweLs 
in  the  Saviour's  crown  are  of  the  first  water,  and  without  a 
single  flaw.  All  the  maids  of  honor  who  attend  the  Lamb's 
wife  are  pure  virgins  without  spot  or  stain.  But  how  will 
Jesus  make  us  faultless  ?  He  .will  wash  us  from  our  sins  in 
His  own  blood,  until  we  are  white  and  fair  as  God's  purest 
angel ;  and  we  shall  be  clothed  in  His  righteousness,  that 
righteousness  which  makes  the  saint  who  wears  it  positively 
faultless  ;  yea,  perfect  in  the  sight  of  God.  We  shall  be  un- 
blamable and  unrcprovable  even  in  His  eyes.  His  law  will 
not  only  have  no  charge  against  us,  but  it  will  be  magnified 
in  us.  Moreover,  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  within  us  will 
be  altogether  complete.  He  will  make  us  so  perfectly  holy, 
that  we  shall  have  no  lingering  tendency  to  sin.  Judgment, 
memory,  will  —  every  power  and  passion  —  shall  be  emanci- 
pated from  the  thraldom  of  evil.  We  shall  be  holy  even  as 
God  is  holy,  and  in  His  presence  we  shall  dwell  forever. 
Saints  will  not  be  out  of  place  in  heaven ;  their  beauty  will 
be  as  great  as  that  of  the  place  prepared  for  them.  Oh,  the 
rapture  of  that  hour  when  the  everlasting  doors  shall  be  lifted 
up,  and  we,  being  made  meet  for  the  inheritance,  shall  dwell 
with  the  saints  in  light.  Sin  gone,  Satan  shut  out,  tempta- 
tion past  forever,  and  ourselves  "faultless"  before  God,  this 
will  be  heaven  indeed  !  Let  us  be  joyful  now  as  we  rehearse 
the  song  of  eternal  praise  so  soon  to  roll  forth  in  full  chorua 
from  all  the  bloodwashed  host ;  let  us  copy  David's  exultiugs 
before  the  ark,  as  a  prelude  to  our  ecstasies  before  the  throne. 


Oct.   11  DAILY    READINGS.  28S 


"  T.et  us  lift  up  our  heart  with  our  hands  unto  God  in  the  heaven*.'' 
Lamentations  iii.  41. 


■;j— ^-'HE  act  of  prayer  teaches  us  our  umvorthiness^  which 
#'1jE»  Is  a  very  salutary  lessen  for  such  proud  beings  as  we 
arc.  If  God  gave  6s  favors  without  constraining  us 
to  pray  for  them,  wc  should  never  know  how  poor  we  are; 
but  a  true  prayer  is  an  inventory  of  wants,  a  catalogue  of 
necessities,  a  revelation  of  hidden  poverty.  While  it  is  an 
application  to  divine  wealth,  it  is  a  confession  of  human 
emptiness.  The  most  healthy  state  of  a  Christian  is  to  be 
always  empty  in  self,  and  constantly  depending  upon  the 
Lord  for  supplies ;  to  be  always  poor  in  self,  and  rich  in  Jesus ; 
weak  as  water  personally,  but  mighty,  through  God,  to  do 
great  exploits ;  and  hence  the  use  of  prayer,  because,  while 
it  adores  God,  it  lays  the  creature  where  it  should  be,  in  the 
very  dust.  Prayer  is  in  itself,  apart  from  the  answer  which 
it  brings,  a  great  benefit  to  the  Christian.  As  the  runner 
gains  strength  for  the  race  by  daily  exercise,  so  for  the  great 
race  of  life  we  acquire  energy  by  the  hallowed  labor  of  prayer. 
Prayer  plumes  the  wings  of  God's  young  eaglets,  that  they 
may  learn  to  mount  above  the  clouds.  Prayer  girds  the 
loins  of  God's  warriors,  and  sends  them  forth  to  combat  with 
their  sinews  braced  and  their  muscles  firm.  An  earnest 
pleader  cometh  out  of  his  closet,  even  as  the  sun  ariseth 
from  the  chambers  of  the  east,  rejoicing  like  a  strong  man  to 
run  his  race.  Prayer  is  that  uplifted  hand  of  Moses  which 
routs  the  Amalekites  more  than  the  sword  of  Joshua  ;  it  is 
the  arrow  shot  from  the  chamber  of  the  prophet  foreboding 
defeat  to  the  Syrians.  Prayer  girds  human  weakness  with 
divine  strength,  1  irns  human  folly  into  heavenly  wisdom,  and 
gives  to  troubled  mortals  the  peace  of  God.  Wo  know  not 
what  prayer  cannot  do  !  We  thank  thee,  great  God,  for  the 
mercy-seat,  a  choice  proof  of  Thy  marvellous  loving-kindness, 
Help  us  to  use  it  aright  throughout  this  day  I 


286  DAILY    ItEABINdS.  Oct.    12 

^^  I  will  meditate  in  Tliy  precepts."  —  Psalm  cxix,  15. 

^■j^fNHEEE  are  times  when  solitude  is  better  tlian  society, 

WM  and  si 


m  and  silence  is  wiser  than  speech.  We  should  be 
better  Christians  if  wo  were  more  alone,  waiting 
upon  God,  and  gathering,  through  meditation  on  His  Word, 
spiritual  strength  for  labor  in  His  service.  We  ought  to 
muse  upon  the  things  of  God,  because  we  thus  get  the  real  nutri- 
ment out  of  them.  Truth  is  something  like  the  cluster  of  the 
vine  ;  if  we  would  have  wine  from  it,  we  must  bruise  it ;  we 
must  press  and  squeeze  it  many  times.  The  bruisers'  feet 
must  come  down  joyfully  upon  the  bunches,  or  else  the  juice 
will  not  flow ;  and  they  must  well  tread  the  grapes,  or  else 
much  of  the  precious  liquid  will  be  wasted.  So  we  must,  by 
meditation,  tread  the  clusters  of  truth,  if  we  would  get  the 
wine  of  consolation  therefrom.  Our  bodies  are  not  supported 
by  merely  taking  food  into  the  mouth,  but  the  process  which 
really  supplies  the  muscle,  and  the  nerve,  and  the  sinew, 
and  the  bone,  is  the  process  of  digestion.  It  is  by  digestion 
that  the  outward  food  becomes  assimilated  with  the  inner 
life.  Our  souls  are  not  nourished  merely  by  listening  awhile 
to  this,  and  then  to  that,  and  then  to  the  other  part  of  divine 
truth.  Hearing,  reading,  marking,  and  learning,  all  require 
inwardly  digesting  to  complete  their  usefulness,  and  the  in- 
ward digesting  of  the  truth  lies  for  the  most  part  in  meditat- 
ing upon  it.  Why  is  it  that  some  Christians,  although  they 
Lear  many  sermons,  make  but  slow  advances  in  the  divine 
life  ?  Because  they  neglect  their  closets,  and  do  not  thought- 
fully meditate  on  God's  Word.  They  love  the  wheat,  but 
they  do  not  grind  it ;  they  would  have  the  corn,  but  they  will 
Dot  go  forth  into  the  fields  to  gather  ii ;  the  fruit  hangs  upon 
Ibe  tree,  but  they  will  not  pluck  it;  the  water  flows  at  their 
feet,  but  they  will  not  stoop  to  drink  it.  From  such  folly 
deliver  us.  O  Lord,  and  be  this  our  resolve  this  morningi 
•'  I  ^ill  meditate  in  Thy  precepts." 


Oct.   IS  DAILY    READINOS  28'3 


«•  Qodly  sorrow  tcorketh  repentance."  —  2  Corir.thians  vii.  10. 


lENUINE,  spiritual  mourning  for  sin  is  the  work  of  (hi 
\i  Spirit  of  God.  Repentance  is  too  choice  a  flower  to 
^^-^^  grow  in  nature's  garden.  Pearls  grow  naturally  in 
oysters,  but  penitence  never  shows  itself  in  sinners  except 
divine  grace  works  it  in  them.  If  thou  hast  one  particle  of 
real  hatred  for  sin,  God  must  have  given  it  thee,  for  human 
nature's  thorns  never  produce  a  singk  fig  "  That  which  ia 
born  of  flesh  is  flesh." 

True  repentance  has  a  distinct  reference  to  the  Saviour. 
When  we  repent  of  sin,  we  must  have  one  eye  upon  sin  and 
another  upon  the  cross,  or  it  will  be  better  still  if  we  fix  both 
our  eyes  upon  Christ,  and  see  our  transgressions  only  in  the 
lijrht  of  Ilis  love. 

True  sorrow  for  sin  is  eminently  practical.  No  man  may 
s.iy  he  hates  sin,  if  he  lives  in  it.  Repentance  makes  us  see 
the  evil  of  sin,  not  merely  as  a  theory,  but  experimentally  — 
as  a  burnt  child  dreads  fire.  We  shall  be  as  much  afraid  of 
it,  as  a  man  who  has  lately  been  stopped  and  robbed  is  afraid 
of  the  thief  upon  the  highway  ;  and  we  shall  shun  it  —  shun 
it  in  everything  —  not  in  great  things  only,  but  in  little  things, 
as  men  shun  little  vipers  as  well  as  great  snakes.  True  mourn- 
ing for  sin  will  make  us  very  jealous  over  our  topgue,  lest  it 
should  say  a  wrong  word  ;  we  shall  be  very  watchful  over  om 
daily  actions,  lest  in  anything  we  off"end,  and  each  i?ight.  wf 
shall  close  the  day  with  painful  confessions  of  shortcoming, 
and  each  morning  awaken  with  anxious  prayers,  that  this  daj 
God  would  hold  us  up  that  we  may  not  sin  against  Him. 

Sincere  repentance  is  continual.  Believers  repent  unti\ 
theii  dying  day.  This  dropping  well  ii  not  intermittent. 
Every  other  sorrow  yields  to  time,  but  this  dear  sorrow  grows 
with  our  growth,  and  it  is  so  sweet  a  bitter,  that  we  thank 
God  we  are  permitted  to  enjoy  an  1  to  suff'er  it  until  we  entef 
fur  eternal  rest. 


288  DAILY    READINGS.  Oct.    l4. 


"  I  count  all  tilings  hut  loss  for  the  exccllencij  of  the  Knoideilge  of 
Christ  Jesus  my  Lord."  —  Philippians  iii.  8. 

SPIRITUAL  knowledge  of  Christ  will  be  a  personal 
i^)/  knowledge.  I  cannot  know  Jesus  through  another 
person's  acquaintance  with  Him.  No,  /  must  know 
fliit.  myself ;  I  must  know  Him  on  my  own  account.  It  will 
be  an  intelligevt  knowledge  —  I  must  know  Eim,  not  as  tlie 
visionary  dreams  of  Him,  but  as  the  Word  reveals  Him.  I 
must  know  His  natures,  divine  and  human.  I  must  know 
His  offices  —  His  attributes  —  His  works  —  His  shame  —  His 
glory.  I  must  ttieditate  upon  Him  until  I  "  comprehend 
with  all  saints  what  is  the  breadth,  and  length,  and  depth, 
and  height ;  and  know  the  love  of  Christ,  which  passeth 
knowledge."  It  will  be  an  affectionate  knowledge  of  Him  ; 
indeed,  if  I  know  Him  at  all,  I  must  love  Him.  An  ounre 
of  heart-knowledge  is  worth  a  ton  of  head-learning.  Our 
knowledge  of  Him  will  be  a  satisfying  knowledge.  When  I 
know  my  Saviour,  my  mind  will  be  full  to  the  brim  —  I  shall 
feel  that  I  have  that  which  my  spirit  panted  after.  "  This  is 
that  bread  whereof  if  a  man  eat  he  shall  never  hunger.''  At 
the  same  time  it  will  be  an  exciting  knowledge  ;  the  more  I 
know  of  my  Beloved,  the  more  I  shall  want  to  know.  The 
higher  I  climb,  the  loftier  will  be  the  summits  which  invite 
my  eager  footsteps.  I  shall  want  the  more  as  I  get  the 
more.  Like  the  miser's  treasure,  my  gold  will  make  me 
covet  more.  To  conclude  :  this  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus 
will  be  a  most  happy  one  ;  in  fact,  so  elevating,  that  some- 
times it  will  completely  bear  me  up  above  all  trials,  and 
doubts,  and  sorrows  ;  and  it  will,  while  I  enjoy  it,  make  me 
something  more  than  "  man  that  is  born  of  woman,  who  is  of 
few  days,  and  full  of  trouble  ;  "  for  it  will  fling  about  me  the 
immortality  of  the  ever-living  Saviour,  and  gird  me  with  the 
golden  girdle  of  His  eternal  joy.  Come,  ray  soul,  sit  at  Jesus' 
feet,  md  learn  of  Him  all  this  day. 


Oct.  15.  Daily  readings.  2S9 

"  But  who  may  abide  the  day  of  Uis  coming')  "  —  Maluchi  iii.  2. 

Rlj^IS  first  coming  was  without  external  pomp  or  show  of 
\i  power,  and  yet  in  truth  there  were  few  who  could 
abide  its  testing  might.  Herod  and  all  Jerusalem 
with  him  were  stirred  at  the  news  of  the  wondrous  birth. 
Those  who  supposed  themselves  to  be  waiting  for  Him,  showed 
che  fallacy  of  their  professions  by  rejecting  Him  when  He  came. 
Hi&  life  on  earth  was  a  winnowing  fan,  which  tried  the  great 
heaj)  of  religious  profession,  and  few  enough  could  abide  the 
process.  But  what  will  His  second  advent  be  ?  What  sinner 
can  endure  to  think  of  it  ?  "  He  shall  smite  the  earth  with 
the  rod  of  His  mouth,  and  with  the  breath  of  His  lips  shall 
He  slay  the  wicked."  When  in  His  humiliation  He  did  but 
say  to.  the  soldiers,  "  I  am  He,"  they  fell  backward ;  what 
will  be  the  terror  of  His  enemies  when  He  shall  more  fully 
reveal  Himself  as  the  "  /  am  "  ?  His  death  shook  earth  and 
darkened  heaven  ;  what  shall  be  the  dreadful  splendor  of  that 
day  in  which,  as  the  living  Saviour,  He  shall  summon  the  quick 
and  dead  before  Him  ?  0  that  the  terrors  of  the  Lord  would 
persuade  men  to  forsake  their  sins,  and  kiss  the  Son  lest  He 
be  angry  I  Though  a  lamb,  He  is  yet  the  lion  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah,  rending  the  prey  in  pieces  ;  and  though  He  breaks 
not  the  bruised  reed,  yet  will  He  break  His  enemies  with  a 
rod  of  iron,  and  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel. 
None  of  His  foes  shall  bear  up  before  the  tempest  of  His 
wrath,  or  hide  themselves  from  the  sweeping  hail  of  His  in- 
dignation ;  but  His  beloved  blood-washed  people  look  for  His 
appearing  with  joy,  and  hope  to  abide  it  without  fear  :  to 
them  He  sits  as  a  refiner  even  now,  and  when  He  has  tried 
them  they  shall  come  forth  as  gold.  Let  us  search  ourselves 
this  morning,  and  make  our  calling  and  election  sure,  so  that 
the  comiug  of  the  Lord  may  cause  no  dark  forebodings  in  our 
mind,    O  for  grace  to  cast  away  all  hypocrisy,  and  to  be  found 

of  Him  sincere  and  without  rebuke  in  the  day  of  Uis  ajipeanug; 
26 


^90  DAILY    READINGS.  Oct.    16. 


"  Jesus  saith  unto  them   Come  and  dine.'^  —  John  xxi.  12. 

those  words  the  believer  is  invited  to  a  holy  near- 
ness to  Jesus.  "  Come  and  dine,"  implies  the  same 
table,  the  same  meat ;  ay,  and  sometimes  it  means  to 
sit  side  by  side,  and  lean  our  head  upon  the  Saviour's  bosom. 
It  is  being  brought  into  the  banqueting-house,  where  waves 
tba  banner  of  redeeming  love.  "  Come  and  dine,"  gives  us 
a  vision  of  union  tvith  Jesus,  because  the  only  food  that  wc 
can  feast  upon  when  we  dine  with  Jesus  is  Himself.  Oh, 
what  union  is  this  !  It  is  a  depth  which  reason  cannot  fathom, 
that  we  thus  feed  upon  Jesus.  "  He  that  eateth  My  flesh, 
and  drinketh  My  blood,  dwelleth  in  Me,  and  I  in  him."  It 
is  also  an  invitation  to  enjoy  felloivship  ivlth  the  saints.  Chris- 
tians may  diifcr  on  a  variety  of  points,  but  they  have  all  one 
spiritual  appetite  ;  and  if  we  cannot  all  feel  alike,  we  can  all 
feed  alike  on  the  bread  of  life  sent  down  from  heaven.  At 
the  table  of  fellowship  with  Jesus  we  are  one  bread  and  one 
o.up.  As  the  loving  cup  goes  round,  we  pledge  one  another 
heartily  therein.  Get  nearer  to  Jesus,  and  you  will  find  your- 
self linked  more  and  more  in  spirit  to  all  who  arc,  like  yourself, 
supported  by  the  same  heavenly  manna.  If  we  were  more 
near  to  Jesus,  we  should  be  more  near  to  one  another.  We 
likewise  see  in  these  words  the  source  of  strength  for  every 
Christian.  To  look  at  Christ  is  to  live,  but  for  strength  to 
serve  Him  you  must  "  come  and  dine."  We  labor  under 
much  unnecessary  weakness  on  account  of  neglecting  this 
precept  of  the  Master.  We  none  of  us  need  to  put  ourselves 
on  low  diet ;  on  the  contrary,  we  should  fatten  on  the  mar- 
row and  fatness  of  the  gospel,  that  we  may  accumulate  strength 
therein,  and  urge  every  power  to  its  full  tension  in  the  Mas- 
ter's service.  Thus,  then,  if  you  wuuld  realize  luarncss  to 
Jesus,  union  with  Jesus,  love  to  His  people,  aud  strength  from 
JoauA,  "  come  and  diro  "  with  Him  by  faith. 


Oct.  17.  Daily  utA-DiNcs.  291 

"And  Daoid  said  in  his  henrt,  I  shall  nmj  perish  one  day  by  the 
hand  oj"  Saul." — 1  Samuel  xxvii.  1. 


K*T|**5'Hl'i  thouo-ht  of  David's  heart  at  this  time  was  ufaht 
tl  l^fUv  thought,  because  he  certainly  had  no  ground  for  think- 
*^^-*  ing  that  God's  anointing  him  by  Samuel  was  intended 
to  be  left  as  an  empty,  unmeaning  act.  On  no  one  occasion 
had  the  Lord  deserted  His  servant ;  he  had  been  placed  in 
perilous  positions  very  often,  but  not  one.  instance  had  oc- 
curred in  which  divine  interposition  had  not  delivered  him. 
The  trials  to  which  he  had  been  exposed  had  been  varied ; 
they  had  not  assumed  one  form  only,  but  many  —  yet  in 
every  case  He  who  sent  the  trial  had  also  graciously  ordained 
a  way  of  escape.  David  could  not  put  his  finger  upon  any 
''ntry  in  his  diary,  and  say  of  it,  "  Here  is  evidence  that  the 
Lord  will  forsake  me,"  for  the  entire  tenor  of  his  past  life 
proved  the  very  reverse.  He  should  have  argued  from  what 
God  Jiad  done  for  him  that  God  would  be  his  defender  still. 
But  is  it  not  just  in  tliis  same  way  that  xve  doubt  God's  help? 
Is  it  not  miatrnst  u-ithout  a  cause?  Have  we  ever  had  the 
shadow  of  a  reason  to  doubt  our  Father's  goodness  ?  Have 
not  His  loving-kindnesses  been  marvellous  ?  Has  He  07ice 
failed  to  justify  our  trust  ?  Ah,  no  !  our  God  has  not  left  us 
at  any  time.  Wei  have  had  dark  nights,  but  the  star  of  love 
has  shone  forth  amid  the  blackness  ;  we  have  been  in  steru 
conflicts,  but  over  our  head  He  has  held  aloft  the  shield  of 
our  d(  fence.  We  have  gone  through  many  trials,  but  never 
to  Oui  detriment,  always  to  our  advantage ;  and  the  conclu- 
dion  from  our  past  experience  is,  that  He  who  has  been  with 
us  iu  six  troubles  will  not  forsake  us  in  the  seventh.  What 
we  have  known  of  our  faithful  God  proves  that  He  will  keep 
us  to  the  end.  Let  us  not,  tlien,  reason  contrary  to  evi- 
dence. How  can  we  ever  be  so  ungenerous  as  to  doubt  •:.j- 
God  ?  liOrd,  throw  down  the  Jezebel  of  uur  utAytV.ri,  «»i 
let  the  dogs  devour  it. 


292  DAILY   HEADINGS.  Oct.   til 

"  TJiy  paths  drop  fatness. ^^  —  Psalm  Ixv.  11. 


^i^lV^ANY  are  "  the  paths  of  the  Lord"  which  "  drop  fat- 
^|fl|^  ness,"  but  an  especial  one  is  the  faili  of  prayer.  No 
^^  '\^  believer  who  is  much  in  the  closet  will  have  need  to 
cry,  "  My  leanness,  my  leanness  ;  woe  unto  me."  Starving 
tou'is  live  at  a  distance  from  the  mercy-seat,  and  become 
like  the  parched  fields  in  times  of  drought.  Prevalence  with 
God  in  wrestling  prayer  is  sure  to  make  the  believer  strong 
—  if  not  happy.  The  nearest  place  to  the  gate  of  heaven  is 
the  throne  of  the  heavenly  grace.  Much  alone,  and  you  will 
have  much  assurance  ;  little  alone  with  Jesus,  your  religion 
will  be  shallow,  polluted  with  many  doubts  and  fears,  and 
not  sparkling  with  the  joy  of  the  Lord.  Since  the  soul- 
enriching  path  of  prayer  is  open  to  the  very  weakest  saint ; 
since  no  high  attainments  are  required  ;  since  you  are  not 
bidden  to  come  because  you  are  an  advanced  saint,  but  freely 
invited  if  you  be  a  saint  at  all ;  see  to  it,  dear  reader,  that 
you  are  often  in  the  way  of  private  devotion.  Be  much  on 
your  knees,  for  so  Elijah  drew  the  rain  upon  famished  Is- 
rael's fields.  There  is  another  especial  path  dropping  with 
fatness  to  those  who  w'alk  therein  :  it  is  the  secret  walk  of 
communion.  Oh  !  the  delights  of  fellowship  with  Jesus ! 
Earth  hath  no  words  which  can  set  forth  the  holy  calm  of  a 
Boul  leaning  on  Jesus'  I  jsom.  Few  Christians  understand 
It :  they  live  in  the  lowlands,  and  seldom  climb  to  the  top  of 
Nebo  ;  they  live  in  the  outer  court ;  they  enter  not  the  holy 
place ;  they  take  not  up  the  privilege  of  priesthood.  At  a 
distance  they  see  the  sacrifice,  but  they  sit  not  down  with 
the  priest  to  eat  thereof,  and  to  enjoy  the  fat  of  the  burnt 
offering.  But,  reader,  sit  thou  ever  under  the  shadow  of 
Jesus;  come  up  to  that  palm  tree,  and  take  hold  of  the  branches 
thereof;  let  thy  Beloved  be  unto  thee  as  the  apple  tree  among 
the  tree3  of  the  wood,  and  thou  shalt  be  satisfied  as  with 
marrow  and  fatness.     0  Jesus,  visit  us  with  Thy  salvation. 


Oct.   19.  liiJLLY   feEAtolifGS.  i?9^ 

"Babes  in  Christ." —  1  Corinthiai.s  iii.  i. 

IrRE  you  mourning,  believer,  because  you  are  so  weak 
J  S  iu  the  divine  life  ?  because  your  faith  is  so  little,  youi 
*^  love  so  feeble  ?  Cheer  up,  for  you  have  cause  fcr 
gratitude.  Remember,  that  in  some  things  you,  are  equal  ^o 
the  greatest  and  most  full-grown  Christian.  You  are  as  much 
bought  with  blood  as  he  is.  You  are  as  much  an  adopted 
child  of  God  as  any  other  believer.  An  infant  is  as  truly  a 
child  of  its  parents  as  is  the  full-grown  man.  You  are  as 
completely  justified,  for  your  justification  is  not  a  thing  of 
degrees :  your  little  faith  has  made  you  clean  every  whit. 
You  have  as  much  right  to  the  precious  things  of  the  covenant 
as  the  most  advanced  believers,  for  your  right  to  covenant 
mercies  lies  not  in  your  growth,  but  in  the  covenant  itself, 
and  your  faith  iu  Jesus  is  not  the  measure,  but  the  token  of 
your  inheritance  in  Ilim.  You  are  as  rich  as  the  richest,  if 
not  in  enjoyment,  yet  in  real  possession.  The  smallest  star 
that  gleams  is  set  in  heaven ;  the  faintest  ray  of  light  has 
affinity  with  the  great  orb  of  day.  In  the  family  register  of 
glory  the  small  and  the  great  are  written  with  the  same  pen. 
You  are  as  dear  to  your  Father's  heart  as  the  greatest  iu 
the  family.  Jesus  is  very  tender  over  you.  You  are  like 
the  smoking  flax.  A  rougher  spirit  would  say,  "  Put  out  that 
smoking  flax  ;  it  fills  the  room  with  an  ofi"ensive  odor  !  "  but 
the  smoking  flax  He  will  not  quench.  You  are  like  a  bruised 
reed ;  and  any  less  tender  hand  than  that  of  the  Chief  Mu- 
fiician  would  tread  upon  you,  or  throw  you  away,  but  He  will 
never  break  the  bruised  reed.  Instead  of  being  downcast 
by  reason  of  what  you  are,  you  should  triumph  in  Christ. 
Am  I  but  little  in  Israel  r  Yet  in  Christ  I  am  made  to  sit  in 
heavenly  places.  Am  I  poor  in  faith  ?  Still  in  Jesus  I  am 
heir  of  all  things.  Though  "less  than  nothing  I  can  boast, 
and  vanity  confess."  yet  if  the  root  of  the  matter.be  in  me,  ] 
will  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  and  glory  in  the  God  of  my  siJvatir  o 
23  • 


204  DAiLT    BEACINGS.  Oct.  ^(S. 


"  Gy-ow  tip  into  Him  in  all  tilings"  —  Ephesians  iv.  15. 

i^^ANY  Christians  remain  stunted  and  dwarfed  in  sp'r- 
H  itual  tilings,  so  as  to  present  the  same  appearan^a 
year  after  year.  No  up-springing  of  advanced  and 
f^fined  feeling  is  manifest  in  them.  They  exist,  but  do  not 
•  ■  grow  up  into  Him  in  all  things.''  But  should  we  rest  3on- 
tunt  with  being  in  the  "green  blade,"  when  we  might  ad- 
vance to  "  the  ear,"  and  eventually  ripen  into  the  "  full  corn 
in  the  ear  "  ?  Should  we  be  satisfied  to  believe  in  Christ, 
and  to  say,  "  I  am  safe,"  without  wishing  to  know  in  our  own 
experience  more  of  the  fulness  which  is  to  be  found  in  Ilim  ? 
It  should  not  be  so ;  we  should,  as  good  traders  in  heaven's 
market,  covet  to  be  enriched  in  the  knowledge  of  Jesus.  It 
's  all  very  well  to  keep  other  men's  vineyards,  but  we  must 
not  neglect  our  own  spiritual  growth  and  ripening.  Why 
should  it  always  be  winter  time  in  our  hearts  ?  We  must 
have  our  seed  time,  it  is  true ;  but  0  for  a  spring  time  — 
yea,  a  summer  season,  which  shall  give  promise  of  an  early 
harvest !  If  we  would  ripen  in  grace,  we  must  live  near  to 
Jesus  —  in  His  presence  —  ripened  by  the  sunshine  of  His 
smiles.  We  must  hold  sweet  communion  with  Ilim.  We 
must  leave  the  distant  view  of  His  face,  and  come  near,  as 
John  did,  and  pillow  our  heads  on  His  breast ;  then  shall  we 
find  ourselves  advancing  in  holiness,  in  love,  in  faith,  in 
hope  —  yea,  in  every  precious  gift.  As  the  sun  rises  first 
on  mountain-tops,  and  gilds  them  with  his  light,  and  presents 
one  of  the  most  charming  sights  to  the  eye  of  the  traveller, 
80  is  it  one  of  the  most  delightful  contemplations  in  the 
world  to  mark  the  glow  of  the  Spirit's  light  on  the  head  of 
6ome  saint,  who  has  risen  up  in  spiritual  stature,  like  Saul, 
above  his  fellows,  till,  like  a  mighty  Alp,  snow-c?pped,  he  re- 
flects first  amo'ig  the  chosen  the  beams  of  the  S'm  of  Itiglite- 
ousness,  and  bears  the  sheen  cf  His  efi'ulgcnce  high  aloft  for  all 
to  see,  lud  seeing  it.  to  glorify  his  Father  which  is  in  heaven 


Oct.  21.  DAILY    KE/DIxr.S.  Ji95 


"  The  love  of  Christ  constraineih  vs."  —  Mat  hew  v.  47. 

•pOW  nuK'li  owest  thou  unto  my  Lord  ?  Has  He  ever 
^  done  anything  for  thee  ?  Has  He  forgiven  thy  sins? 
Has  He  covered  thee  with  a  robe  of  righteousness  ? 
Has  He  set  thy  feet  upon  a  rock  ?  Has  He  established  thy 
goings  ?  Has  He  prepared  heaven  for  thee  ?  Has  He  pre- 
pared thee  foi  heaven  ?  Has  He  written  thy  name  in  His 
book  of  life  ?  Has  He  given  thee  countless  blessings  ?  Haa 
Ho  laid  up  for  thee  a  store  of  mercies,  which  eye  hath  not 
seen  nor  cor  heard?  Then  do  some'bing  for  Jesus  worthy 
of  His  love.  Give  not  a  mere  wordy  offering  to  a  dying  Re- 
deemer. How  will  you  feel  when  your  Master  comes,  if  ycu 
have  to  confess  that  you  did  nothing  for  Him,  but  kept  your 
love  shut  up,  like  a  stagnant  pool,  neither  flowing  forth  to 
His  poor  or  to  His  work.  Out  on  such  love  as  that !  What 
do  men  think  of  a  love  which  never  shows  itself  in  action  ? 
Why,  they  say,  "  Open  rebuke  is  better  than  secret  love." 
Who  will  accept  a  love  so  weak  that  it  does  not  actuate  you 
to  a  single  deed  of  self-denial,  of  generosity,  of  heroism,  or 
seal  ?  Think  how  He  has  loved  you,  and  given  Himself  for 
you  .'  Do  you  know  the  power  of  that  love  ?  Then  let  it  be 
like  a  rushing  mighty  wind  to  your  soul,  to  sweep  out  the 
clouds  of  your  worldliness,  and  clear  away  the  mists  of  sin. 
"  For  Christ's  sake  "  — be  this  the  tongue  of  fire  that  shall  sit 
upcc  ycu  :  "  for  Christ's  sake  "  —  be  this  the  d'vine  rapture, 
the  heavenly  afflatus  to  bear  you  aloft  from  earth,  the  divine 
spirit  that  shall  make  you  bold  as  lions  and  swift  as  eagles 
in  your  Lord's  service.  Love  should  give  wings  to  the  feet 
of  service,  and  strength  to  the  arms  of  labor.  Fixed  on  God 
with  a  constancy  that  is  not  to  be  shaken,  resolute  to  honor 
Him  with  a  determination  that  is  not  to  be  turned  aside,  and 
pressing  on  with  an  ardor  never  to  be  wearied,  let  us  mani- 
fest the  constraints  of  love  to  Jesus.  May  the  dirine  load- 
stone draw  us  heavenward  towards  itself! 


296  lAlLY   READING^.  Oct.  22. 

"  /  will  love  them  freely."  —  Hosea  xiv.  4. 
^^*5HIS  sentence  is  a  body  of  divinity  in  miniature.     He 


yi^  who  understands  its  meaning  is  a  theologian,  and  he 
who  can  dive  into  its  fulness  is  a  true  master  in  Fs- 
rael.  It  is  a  condensation  of  the  glorious  message  of  salvA- 
tion  which  was  delivered  to  us  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Redeemer, 
The  sense  hinges  upon  the  word  "  freely."  This  is  the  glo- 
rious, the  suitable,  the  divine  way  by  which  love  streams 
from  heaven  to  earth,  a  spontaneous  love  flowing  forth  to 
those  who  neither  deserved  it,  purchased  it,  nor  sought  after 
it.  It  is,  indeed,  the  only  way  in  which  God  can  love  such 
as  we  are.  The  text  is  a  death-blow  to  all  sorts  of  fitness  ! 
"  I  will  love  them  freely."  Now,  if  there  were  any  fitness 
necessary  in  us,  then  He  would  not  love  us  freely ;  at  least, 
this  would  be  a  mitigation  and  a  drawback  to  the  freeness 
of  it.  But  it  stands,  "  I  will  love  you  freely."  We  com- 
pla.a,  "  Lord,  my  heart  is  so  hard."  "  I  will  love  you 
freely."  "  But  I  do  not  feel  my  need  of  Christ  as  I  could 
wish."  "  I  will  not  love  you  because  you  feel  your  need  :  I 
will  love  you  freely."  "  But  I  do  not  feel  that  softening  of 
spirit  which  I  could  desire."  Remember,  the  softening  of 
spirit  is  not  a  condition,  for  there  are  no  conditions ;  the 
covenant  of  grace  has  no  conditionality  whatever ;  so  that 
we,  without  any  fitness,  may  venture  upon  the  promise  of 
God  which  was  made  to  us  in  Christ  Jesus,  when  He  said, 
"  He  that  believeth  on  Him  is  not  condemned."  It  is 
biassed  to  know  that  the  grace  of  God  is  free  to  us  at  all 
times,  without  preparation,  without  fitness,  without  money, 
and  without  price !  "  I  will  love  them  freely."  These  words 
invite  hacksUders  to  return :  indeed,  the  text  was  specially 
written  for  such  —  "I  will  heal  their  backsliding  ;  I  will  love 
Ibem  freely."  Backslider  !  surely  the  generosity  of  the 
promise  will  at  once  break  your  heart,  and  you  will  return 
and  seek  your  injured  Father's  face. 


Oct.  23.  DAILY    BEAbtilOB.  2^1 


-■> 


"  Will  yc  also  go  away?"  —  Jolm  vL  67. 

f?iANY  have  forsakm  Christ,  and  have  walked  no  more 
with  Ilim  ;  but  ivJiat  reason  have  you  to  make  a 
change  f  Has  there  been  any  reason  for  it  in  the 
past?  Ha8  not  Jesus  proved  Himself  all-sufficient?  He 
appeals  to  you  this  morning  —  "Have  I  been  a  wilderness 
nnto  you  ? "  When  your  soul  has  simply  trusted  Jesus,  have 
you  ever  been  confounded  ?  Have  you  not  up  till  now  found 
your  Lord  to  be  a  compassionate  and  generous  friend  to 
you,  and  has  not  simple  faith  in  Him  given  you  all  the  peace 
your  spirit  could  desire  ?  Can  you  so  much  as  dream  of  a 
better  friend  than  He  l;as  been  to  you  ?  Then  change  not 
the  old  and  tried  for  new  and  false.  As  for  the  present,  can 
that  compel  you  to  leave  Christ  ?  When  we  are  hard  beset 
with  this  world,  or  with  the  severer  trials  within  the  Church, 
we  find  it  a  most  blessed  thing  to  pillow  our  head  upon  the 
bosom  of  our  Saviour.  This  is  the  joy  we  have  to-day,  that 
we  are  saved  in  Him,  and  if  this  joy  be  satisfying,  wherefore 
should  we  think  of  changing  ?  Who  barters  gold  for  dross  ? 
We  will  not  forswear  the  sun  till  we  find  a  better  light,  nor 
leave  our  Lord  until  a  brighter  lover  shall  appear  ;  and,  since 
this  can  never  be,  we  will  hold  Him  with  a  grasp  immortal, 
and  bind  His  name  as  a  seal  upon  our  arm.  As  for  the 
future,  can  you  suggest  anything  which  can  arise  that  shall 
render  it  necessary  for  you  to  mutiny,  or  desert  the  old  flag 
to  serve  under  another  captain  ?  We  think  not.  If  life  be 
long.  He  changes  not.  If  we  are  poor,  what  better  than  to 
have  Christ,  who  can  make  us  rich  ?  When  we  are  sick, 
what  more  do  we  want  than  Jesus  to  make  our  bed  in  our 
sickness  ?  When  we  die  —  is  it  not  written  that  "  neither 
death,  nor  life,  nor  thii.gs  present,  nor  things  to  come,  shall 
be  able  to  separate  U3  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lorl"?  We  say  with  Peter,  "Lord,  to 
whom  shall  we  go  ? " 


2^8  DAILY   READINGS.  Oct.  24. 

"  The  ti-eix  of  the  Lord  are  full  of  sap."  —  Psalm  civ.  16. 

^|i|?lC:ITHOUT  sap  the  tree  cannot  flourish,  or  even  exist. 
M^^/'fh  Vitality  is  essential  to  a  Christian.  There  must  be 
**'^*^  life  —  a  vital  principle  infused  into  us  by  God  the 
Holy  Ghost  —  or  we  cannot  be  trees  of  the  Lord.  The 
mere  name  of  being  a  Christian  is  but  a  dead  thing  ;  we  must 
be  filled  with  the  spirit  of  divine  life.  This  life  is  mysterious. 
Wo  do  not  understand  the  circulation  of  the  sap  —  by  what 
force  it  rises,  and  by  what  power  it  descends  again.  So  the 
life  within  us  is  a  sacred  mystery.  Regeneration  is  wrought 
by  the  Holy  Ghost  entering  into  man  and  becoming  man's 
life ;  and  this  divine  life  in  a  believer  afterwards  feeds  upon 
the  flesh  and  blood  of  Christ,  and  is  thus  sustained  by  divine 
food ;  but  whence  it  cometh  and  whither  it  goeth,  who  shall 
explain  to  us  ?  What  a  secret  thing  the  sap  is  !  The  rood's 
go  searching  through  the  soil  with  their  little  spongioles,  but 
we  cannot  see  them  suck  out  the  various  gases,  or  transmute 
the  mineral  into  the  vegetable  :  this  work  is  done  down  in  the 
dark.  Our  root  is  Christ  Jesus,  and  our  life  is  hid  in  him  : 
this  is  the  secret  of  the  Lord.  The  radix  of  the  Christian 
lifo  is  as  secret  as  the  life  itself.  How  permanently  active  ia 
the  sap  in  the  cedar  !  In  the  Christian,  the  divine  life  is 
always  full  of  energy  —  not  always  in  fruit-bearing,  but  in 
itward  operations.  The  believer's  graces  are  not  every  one 
of  them  in  constant  motion,  but  his  life  never  ceases  to  pal- 
pitate within.  Ho  is  not  always  working  for  God,  but  his 
heart  is  always  living  upon  Him.  As  the  sap  manifests  itself 
in  producing  the  foliage  and  fruit  of  the  tree,  so  with  a  truly 
healthy  Christian  ;  his  grace  is  externally  manifested  in  hia 
walk  and  conversation.  If  you  talk  with  him,  he  cannot 
help  speaking  about  Jesus.  If  you  notice  his  actions,  you 
will  see  that  he  has  been  with  Jesus.  He  has  so  much  sap 
within,  cuat  it  must  fill  his  conduct  and  convcT-uation  with 
life. 


Oct.  25.  J)AltT    READINGS.  ^dD 

"  Fi.  r  the  truWs  sake  which  dwdlefh  in  us,  and  sJiall  be  with  lu 
forever"— 2  John  2. 

T^aST.Vj  lot  the  truth  of  Crod  obtain  an  entrance  into  tin 
'  human  heart,  and  subdue  the  whole  man  unto  itself 
no  power,  human  or  infernal,  can  dislodge  it.  We  en- 
tertain it  not  as  a  guest,  but  as  the  master  of  the  house  —  this 
is  a  Christian  necessity  ;  he  is  no  Christian  who  doth  not  thus 
believe.  Those  who  feel  the  vital  power  of  the  gospel,  and 
know  the  misjht  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as  He  opens,  applies,  an(? 
seals  the  Lord's  Word,  would  sooner  be  torn  to  pieces  thai> 
be  rent  away  from  the  gospel  of  their  salvation.  What  a 
thousand  mercies  are  wrapped  up  in  the  assurance  that  the 
truth  will  be  with  us  forever ;  will  be  our  living  support,  our 
dying  comfort,  our  rising  song,  our  eternal  glory !  This  is 
Christian  privilege ;  without  it  our  faith  were  little  worth. 
Some  truths  we  outgrow  and  leave  behind,  for  they  are  but 
rudiments  and  lessons  for  beginners  ;  but  we  cannot  thus  deaJ 
with  Divine  truth,  for  though  it  is  sweet  food  for  babes,  it  i^ 
in  the  highest  sense  strong  meat  for  men.  The  truth  thvt 
we  are  sinners,  is  painfully  with  us  to  humble  and  mtki 
'.IS  watchful  •  the  more  blessed  truth  that  whosoever  believetb 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  saved,  abides  with  us  as  our  hope 
and  joy.  Experience,  so  far  from  loosening  our  hold  of  the 
doctrines  of  grace,  has  knit  us  to  them  more  and  more  firmly; 
our  grounds  and  motives  for  believing  are  now  more  strong, 
more  numerous  than  ever,  and  we  have  rea-on  to  expect  that 
it  will  be  so  till  in  death  we  clasp  the  Saviour  in  our  arms. 

Wherever  this  abiding  love  of  truth  can  be  discovered,  we 
are  bound  to  exercise  our  love.  No  narrow  circle  can  contain 
our  gracious  sympathies ;  wide  as  the  election  of  grace  must 
be  our  communion  of  heart.  Mr.ch  of  error  may  be  mingled 
frith  truth  received  ;  let  us  war  with  the  error,  but  still  lovfl 
the  brother  for  the  measure  of  truth  whi.h  we  see  in  Him ; 
above  all,  let  us  love  and  sprea<^.  the  truth  ourselves. 


360  Daily  reat>ings.  Oct.  26. 


"  Ye  looked  for  much,  and,  lo,  it  came  to  little :  and.  when  ye 
bronght  it  Tiome,  I  did  blow  npon  it.  Why'^  saith  the  Lord 
of  hosts.  Because  of  Mine  house  that  is  waste,  and  ye  rwi 
every  man  unto  his  own  house."  —  Haggai  i.  9. 

^^^^(^HURLISH  souls  stint  their  contributions  to  the  min- 
iC  ^^^  istry  and  missionary  operations,  and  call  such  savin* 
^'"— -"^  good  economy ;  little  do  they  dream  that  they  are 
thus  impoverishing  themselves.  Their  excuse  is,  that  they 
must  care  for  their  own  families,  and  they  forget  that  to 
neglect  the  house  of  Grod  is  the  sure  way  to  bring  ruin  upon 
their  own  houses.  Our  God  has  a  method  in  providence  by 
Tyhich  He  can  succeed  our  endeavors  beyond  our  expectation, 
or  can  defeat  our  plans  to  our  confusion  and  dismay ;  by  a 
turn  of  His  hand  He  can  steer  our  vessel  in  a  profitable 
channel,  or  run  it  aground  in  poverty  and  bankruptcy.  It  ia 
the  teaching  of  Scripture  that  the  Lord  enriches  the  liberal, 
and  leaves  the  miserly  to  find  out  that  withholding  tendeth  to 
poverty.  In  a  very  wide  sphere  of  observation,  I  have 
noticed  that  the  most  generous  Christians  of  my  acquaint- 
ance have  been  always  the  most  happy,  and  almost  invari- 
7,bly  the  most  prosperous.  I  have  seen  the  liberal  giver  rise 
t ".  wealth  of  which  he  never  dreamed ;  and  I  have  as  often 
seen  the  mean,  ungenerous  churl  descend  to  poverty  by  the 
v^ery  parsimony  by  which  he  thought  to  rise.  Men  trust 
good  stewards  with  larger  and  larger  sums ;  and  so  it  fre- 
quently is  with  the  Lord ;  He  gives  by  cartloads  to  those  who 
give  by  bushels.  Where  wealth  is  not  bestowed,  the  Lord 
makes  the  little  much  by  the  contentment  which  the  sanctified 
heart  feels  in  a  portion  of  which  the  tithe  has  been  dedicated 
to  the  Lord.  Selfishness  looks  first  at  home,  but  godliness 
seeks  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  righteousness  ;  yet,  in 
the  long  run,  selfishness  is  kss,  and  godliness  is  great  gain.  It 
needs  faith  to  act  towards  .'Ur  God  with  an  open  hand ;  but 
Burely  He  deserves  it  of  us;  and  all  that  we  can  doisa  veiypoor 
»cknowledgment  of  our  amazinjf  indebtedness  to  His  got  dness. 


Oct.   27.  DAILY    KEADIMGS.  301 


It  is  a  faithful  saying."  —  ">.  Timothy  ii.  11. 


im. 


!AUL  has  four  of  these  ^^faithfxd  sayings."  The"  first 
^ll  occurs  iu  1  Timothy  i.  8  :  "  This  is  a  faithful  saying, 
and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus  came 
into  the  world  to  save  sinners."  The  next  is  in  1  Tim- 
othy iv.  6 :  "  Godliness  is  profitable  unto  all  things,  hav- 
ing the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which 
is  to  come.  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all  ac- 
ceptation." The  third  is  in  2  Timothy  ii.  12  :  "  It  is  a  faith- 
ful saying,  If  we  suffer  with  Him  we  shall  also  reign  with 
Him  ; "  and  the  fourth  is  in  Titus  iii.  3  :  "  This  is  a  faithful 
saying,  that  they  which  have  believed  in  God  might  be  care- 
ful to  maintain  good  works."  We  may  trace  a  connection 
between  these  faithful  sayings.  The  first  one  lays  the  founda- 
tion of  our  eternal  salvation  in  the  free  grace  of  God,  aa 
shown  to  us  in  the  mission  of  the  great  Redeemer.  The  next 
affirms  the  double  blessedness  which  we  obtain  through  this 
salvation  —  the  blessings  of  the  upper  and  nether  springs  — 
of  time  and  of  eternity.  The  third  shows  one  of  the  duties 
to  which  the  chosen  people  are  called ;  we  arc  ordaiLed  to 
fiufi"er  for  Christ,  with  the  promise  that  "  if  we  &uffer,  we  shall 
also  reign  with  Ilim."  The  last  sets  forth  the  activfc  form  of 
Christian  service,  bidding  us  diligently  to  maintain  good 
works.  Thus  we  have  the  root  of  salvation  in  free  grace  ; 
next,  the  privileges  of  that  salvation  in  the  lire  which  now  Is, 
and  in  that  which  is  to  come  ;  and  we  have  also  the  two  groat 
branches  of  sufiering  with  Christ  and  serving  with  Christ, 
loaded  with  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit.  Treasure  up  these  faith- 
ful sayings.  Let  them  be  the  guides  of  our  life,  our  comfort, 
and  our  instruction.  The  apo.stle  of  the  Gentiles  proved  them 
to  be  faithful ;  they  are  faithful  still ;  not  one  word  shall  fall 
to  the  ground :  they  arc  worthy  of  all  acceptation  ;  let  us  ac- 
cept them  now,  and  prove  their  faithfulness.  Let  these  four 
faithfuJ  sayings  be  written  on  the  four  corners  of  mv^  hoMse 


302  DAILY    READINGS.  Oct.  28. 

"  I  have  chosen  you  out  of  the  world."  —  John  xv.  19. 

^!^EKE  is  distinguishing  grace  and  discriminating  rc- 
^  gard  ;  for  some  are  made  the  special  objects  of  divine 
afieciion.  Do  not  be  afraid  to  dwell  upon  this  high 
doctrine  of  election.  When  your  mind  is  most  heavy  and 
depressed,  you  will  find  it  to  be  a  bottle  of  richest  cordial. 
Those  who  doubt  the  doctrines  of  grace,  or  who  cast  theoj 
into  the  shade,  miss  the  richest  clusters  of  Eshcol ;  they  lose 
the  wines  on  the  lees  well  refined,  the  fat  things  full  of  marrow. 
There  is  no  balm  in  Gilead  comparable  to  it.  If  the  honey 
in  Jonathan's  wood,  when  but  touched,  enlightened  the  eyes, 
this  is  honey  which  will  enlighten  your  heart  to  love  and  learn 
the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Eat,  and  fear  not  a 
surfeit ;  live  upon  this  choice  dainty,  and  fear  not  that  it  will 
be  too  delicate  a  diet.  Meat  from  the  King's  table  will  hurt 
none  of  His  courtiers.  Desire  to  have  your  mind  enlargedj 
that  you  may  comprehend  more  and  more  the  eternal,  ever- 
lasting, discriminating  love  of  God.  When  you  have  mounted 
as  high  as  election,  tarry  on  its  sister  mount,  the  covenant 
of  grace.  Covenant  engagements  are  the  munitions  of  stu- 
pendous rock  behind  which  we  lie  intrenched ;  covenant 
engagements  with  the  surety,  Christ  Jesus,  are  the  quiet 
resting-places  of  trembling  spirits. 

"  His  oath,  His  covenant,  His  blood, 
Support  me  in  the  raging  flood ; 
When  every  earthly  prop  gives  way, 
This  still  is  all  my  strength  and  stay." 

If  Jesus  undertook  to  bring  me  to  glory,  and  if  the  Father 
promised  that  He  would  give  me  to  the  Son  to  be  a  part  of 
the  infinite  reward  of  the  travail  of  His  soul,  then,  my  soul, 
till  God  Himself  shall  be  unfaithful,  till  Jesus  shall  cease  to  be 
the  truth,  thou  art  safe  When  David  danced  before  the  ark, 
he  told  Miclial  chat  election  iiade  him  do  so.  Come,  my 
soul,  exult  before  the  God  of  grace,  and  leap  for  joy  of  heart. 


Oct.   29.  DAILY    RLADINGS.  303 


*'' After  this  manner  therefore  pray  ye:  Our  Father,  which  art  in 
heaven,"  &c.  —  Matthew  vi.  9. 

^ifl^^J'HIS  prayer  begins  where  all  true  prayer  must  com- 
ir  ^'^  mence  —  with  the  spirit  of  adoption,  "Our  Father." 
'^^^'^^  There  is  no  acceptable  prayer  until  we  can  say,  "  I 
will  arise  and  go  unto  my  Father."  This  child-like  spirit 
Boon  perceives  the  grandeur  of  the  Father  "  iu  heaven,"  and 
ascends  to  devout  adoration  —  "Hallowed  be  Thy  name." 
The  child  lisping,  "  Abba,  Father,"  grows  into  the  cherub 
crying,  "  Holy,  Holy,  Holy."  There  is  but  a  step  from  rap- 
turous worship  to  the  glowing  missionary  spirit,  which  is  a  sure 
outgrowth  of  filial  love  and  reverent  adoration  —  "  Thy  king- 
dom come,  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven." 
Next  follows  th.e  heartfelt  expression  of  dependence  upon  God 
—  "  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread."  Being  further  illu- 
minated by  the  Spirit,  he  discovers  that  he  is  not  only  de- 
pendent, but  sinful;  hence  he  entreats  for  mercy  —  "Forgive 
us  our  debts  as  we  forgive  our  debtors  :  "  and  being  pardoned, 
having  the  righteousness  of  Christ  imputed,  and  knowing  his 
acceptance  with  God,  he  humbly  supplicates  for  holy  persever- 
ance—  "  Lead  us  not  into  temptation."  The  man  who  is  really 
forgiven,  is  anxious  not  to  offend  again  ;  the  possession  of  jus- 
tification leads  to  an  anxious  desire  for  sanctification.  "  For- 
give us  our  debts  ;  "  that  is  justification.  "  Lead  us  not  into 
temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil ;  "  that  is  sanctification  io 
its  negative  and  positive  forms.  As  the  result  of  all  this, 
there  follows  a  triumphant  ascription  of  praise  —  "  Thine  is  the 
kingdom,  the  power,  and  the  glory  forever  and  ever.  Amen." 
We  rejoice  that  our  King  reigns  in  providence  and  shall 
reign  in  grace,  from  the  river  even  to  the  ends  of  the  eartl", 
and  of  His  dominion  tliere  shall  be  no  end.  Thus  from  a 
sense  of  adoption,  up  to  fellowship  with  our  reigning  Lord, 
this  short  model  of  prayer  conducts  the  foul  F.or  J,  teapb 
us  thus  to  pray. 


504  DAILY    READINGS.  Oct.  30. 


"  I  will  praise  TJiee,  0  Lord."  —  Psalm  ix.  1. 

[(j^lRAISE  should  always  follow  answered  prayer,  as  the 
mist  of  earth's  gratitude  risses  when  the  sun  of  heaven's 
love  warms  the  ground.  Hath  the  Lord  been  grau 
cious  to  thee,  and  inclined  his  ear  to  the  voice  of  thy  suppli- 
cation ?  Then  praise  Him  as  long  as  thou  livest.  Let  the 
ripe  fruit  drop  upon  the  fertile  soil  from  which  it  drew  its 
life.  Deny  not  a  song  to  Him  who  hath  answered  thy  prayer 
and  given  thee  the  desire  of  thy  heart.  To  be  silent  over 
God's  mercies  is  to  incur  the  guilt  of  ingratitude  ;  it  is  to  act 
as  basely  as  the  nine  lepers,  who,  after  they  had  been  cured 
of  their  leprosy,  returned  not  to  give  thanks  unto  the  healing 
Lord.  To  forget  to  praise  God,  is  to  refuse  to  benefit  our- 
selves ;  for  praise,  like  prayer,  is  one  great  means  of  promot- 
ing the  growth  of  the  spiritual  life.  It  helps  to  remove  our 
burdens,  to  excite  our  hope,  to  increase  our  faith.  It  is  a 
healthful  and  invigorating  exercise,  which  quickens  the  pulse 
of  the  believer,  and  nerves  him  for  fresh  enterprises  in  his 
Master's  service.  To  bless  God  for  mercies  received  is  also 
the  way  to  benefit  our  fellow-men  ;  "  the  humble  shall  hear 
thereof  and  be  glad."  Others,  who  have  been  in  like  circum- 
stances, shall  take  comfort  if  we  can  say,  "  Oh  !  magnify  the 
Lord  with  me,  and  let  us  exalt  His  name  together ;  this  poor 
man  cried,  and  the  Lord  heard  him."  Weak  hearts  will  be 
strengthened,  and  drooping  saints  will  be  revived,  as  they 
listen  to  our  "  songs  of  deliverance."  Their  doubts  and 
fears  will  be  rebuked,  as  we  teach  and  admonish  one  another 
in  psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual  songs.  They  too  shall 
"  sing  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord,"  when  they  hear  us  magnify 
His  holy  name.  Praise  is  the  most  heavenly  of  Christian 
duties.  The  angels  pray  not,  but  they  cease  not  to  praise 
both  day  and  night ;  and  the  redeemed,  clothed  in  white 
robes,  with  palm-branches  in  their  hands,  are  naver  wearj 
of  singing  the  new  soDg,  "  Worthy  is  the  Lamb." 


Oct.  31.  DAILY    KEADINGS.  305 


"  liencw  a  r'tQlitsjnrit  within  me."  —  Psalm  li.  10. 

^jf'Tj  BACKSLIDER,  if  there  be  a  spark  of  life  left  in 
ilv^l'-A  ^^°*'  ^^^^  groan  after  restoration.  In  this  renewal 
^^*^*^^  the  same  exercise  of  grace  is  required  as  at  our  con- 
version. We  needed  repentance  then;  we  certainly  need  it 
now.  We  wanted  faith  that  we  might  come  to  Christ  at 
first ;  only  the  like  grace  can  bring  us  to  Jesus  now.  We 
wanted  a  word  from  the  Most  Iligh,  a  word  from  the  lip  of 
the  loving  One,  to  end  our  fears  then  ;  we  shall  soon  dis- 
cover, when  under  a  sense  of  present  sin,  that  we  need  it 
now.  No  man  can  be  renewed  without  as  real  and  true  a  mani- 
festation of  the  Holy  Spirit's  energy  as  he  felt  at  first,  be- 
cause the  work  is  as  great,  and  flesh  and  blood  are  as  much 
m  the  way  now  as  ever  they  were.  Let  thy  personal  weak- 
ness, 0  Christian,  be  an  argument  to  make  thee  pray  ear- 
nestly to  thy  God  for  help.  Remember,  David,  when  he  felt 
himself  to  be  powerless,  did  not  fold  his  arms  or  close  his 
lips,  but  he  hastened  to  the  mercy-seat  with,  "  Renew  a  right 
spirit  within  me."  Let  not  the  doctrine  that  you,  unaided, 
can  do  nothing,  make  you  sleep ;  but  let  it  be  a  goad  in  your 
side  to  drive  you  with  an  awful  earnestness  to  Israel's  strong 
Helper.  0  that  you  may  have  grace  to  plead  with  God,  as 
though  you  pleaded  for  your  very  life  —  "Lord,  renew  a 
right  spirit  within  me."  He  wha  sincerely  prays  to  God  to 
do  this,  will  prove  his  honesty  by  using  the  means  through 
fvhich  God  works.  Be  much  in  pra3-er  ;  live  much  upon  the 
Word  of  God  ;  kill  the  lusts  which  have  driven  your  Lord 
from  you ;  be  careful  to  watch  over  the  future  uprisings  of 
bin.  The  Lord  has  his  own  appointed  ways  ;  sit  by  the  way- 
«iidc,  and  you  will  be  ready  when  He  passes  by.  Continue  in 
^11  those  blessed  ordinances  which  will  foster  and  nourish 
four  dying  graces ;  and,  knowing  that  all  the  power  must 
proceed  fiom  Iliui,  ccaso  not  to  cry,  "Renew  a  right  spirit 
^ihin  n^c  " 

26* 


806  DAILY    READINGS.  NoV.   1. 

"  Tlie  Church  in  thy  house."  —  Philemon  2. 

SrS  there  a  Church  in  this  house  ?  Are  parents,  chil- 
^  dren,  friends,  servants,  all  members  of  it  ?  or  are 
some  still  unconverted?  Let  us  pause  here,  and  lefc 
the  question  go  round  —  Avi  I  a  memher  of  the  Church  in 
this  house?  How  would  father's  heart  leap  for  joy,  and 
mother's  eves  fill  with  holy  tears,  if  from  the  eldest  to  the 
youngest  all  were  saved  !  Let  us  pray  tor  this  great  mercy 
until  the  Lord  shall  grant  it  to  us.  Probably  it  had  been  the 
dearest  object  of  Philemon's  desires  to  have  all  his  household 
saved ;  but  it  was  not  at  first  granted  him  in  its  fulness.  He 
had  a  wicked  servant,  Onesimus,  who,  having  wronged  him. 
ran  away  from  his  service.  His  master's  prayers  followed 
him,  and  at  last,  as  God  would  have  it,  Onesimus  was  led  to 
hear  Paul  preach  ;  his  heart  was  touched,  and  he  returned  to 
Philemon,  not  only  to  be  a  faithful  servant,  but  a  brother 
beloved,  adding  another  member  to  the  Church  in  Philemon's 
house.  Is  there  an  unconverted  servant  or  child  absent  this 
morning  ?  Make  special  supplication  that  such  may,  on  their 
return  to  their  home,  gladden  all  hearts  with  good  news  of 
what  grace  has  done  !  Is  there  one  present  ?  Let  him  par- 
take in  the  same  earnest  entreaty. 

If  there  be  such  a  Church  in  our  house,  let  us  order  it  well, 
and  let  all  act  as  in  the  sight  of  God.  Let  us  move  in  the 
common  afi'airs  of  life  with  studied  holiness,  diligence,  kind- 
ness, and  integrity.  More  is  expected  of  a  Church  than  of 
an  ordinary  household ;  family  worship  must,  in  such  a  case, 
be  more  devout  and  hearty  ;  internal  love  must  be  more  warm 
and  unbroken,  and  external  conduct  must  be  more  sanctified 
and  Christ-like.  We  need  not  fear  that  the  smallness  of  our 
Bamber  will  put  us  out  of  the  list  of  Churches,  for  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  here  enrolled  a  family-church  in  the  inspired  book 
of  remembrance.  As  a  Church  let  us  now  draw  nigh  to  the 
great  Head  of  the  one  Church  universal,  and  let  us  beseech  Him 
to  give  us  gra(ie  to  shine  before  men  to  the  glory  of  His  name. 


Nov.   2.  DAILY    READINGS.  307 

"  I  am  the  Lord,  I  cliange  not."  —  Malachi  iii.  6. 

T  is  well  for  us  that,  amidst  all  the  variabkness  of 
m'  life,  there  is  One  whom  change  cannot  aifect ;  One 
whose  heart  can  never  alter,  and  on  whose  brow  mu- 
tability can  make  no  furrows.  All  things  else  have  changed 
—  all  things  are  changing.  The  sun  itself  grows  dim  with 
age  ;  the  world  is  waxing  old  ;  the  folding  up  of  the  worn- 
out  vesture  has  commenced  ;  the  heavens  and  earth  must  soon 
pass  away  ;  they  shall  perish,  they  shall  wax  old  as  doth  a 
garment ;  but  there  is  One  who  only  hath  immortality,  of 
whose  years  there  is  no  end,  and  in  whose  person  there  is  no 
3hange.  The  delight  which  the  mariner  feels,  when,  after 
saving  been  tossed  about  for  many  a  day,  he  steps  again  upon 
:he  solid  shore,  is  the  satisfaction  of  a  Christian,  when,  amidst 
all  the  changes  of  this  troublous  life,  he  rests  the  foot  of  his 
faith  upon  this  truth  —  "  /  am  the  Lord,  I  change  not." 

The  stability  which  the  anchor  gives  the  ship  when  it  haa 
at  last  obtained  a  hold-fast,  is  like  that  which  the  Christian's 
hope  affords  him  when  it  fixes  itself  upon  this  glorious  truth. 
With  God  "  is  no  variableness,  neither  shadow  of  turning." 
Whatever  His  attributes  were  of  old,  they  are  now ;  His 
power.  His  wisdom.  His  justice,  His  truth,  are  alike  un- 
changed. He  has  ever  been  the  refuge  of  His  people,  their 
stronghold  in  the  day  of  trouble,  and  He  is  their  sure  helper 
still.  He  is  unchanged  in  His  love.  He  has  loved  His  peo- 
ple with  "  an  everlasting  love  ;  "  He  loves  them  now  as  much 
as  ever  He  did,  and  when  all  earthly  things  shall  have  meltec" 
m  the  last  conflagration,  His  love  will  still  wear  the  dew  of 
its  youth.  Precious  is  the  assurance  that  He  changes  not  1 
TLd  wheel  of  providence  revolves,  but  its  axle  is  eternal  lovoi 

"  Death  and  change  are  busy  ever  ; 
Man  decays  and  ages  move  ; 
But  His  mercy  wancth  never; 
God  is  wisdom,  God  is  love." 


JOS  DAILY    KEADIKGS.  NoV.  S 


"Behold,  he prayetli."  —  Acts  ix.  11. 


/Jji^RAYERS  are  instantly  noticed  in  heaven  The  mo- 
^^  ment  Saul  began  to  pray  the  Lord  heard  him.  Here 
~^  '^  '  is  comfort  for  the  distressed  but  praying  soul.  Of- 
tentimes a  poor  broken-hearted  one  bends  his  knee,  but  oan 
only  utter  his  wailing  in  the  language  of  sighs  and  .ears ; 
yet  that  groan  has  made  all  the  harps  of  heaven  thrill  with 
music ;  that  tear  has  been  caught  by  God,  and  treasured  in 
the  lachrymatory  of  heaven.  "  Thou  puttest  my  tears  into 
Thy  bottle,"  implies  that  they  are  caught  as  they  flow.  The 
suppliant  whose  fears  prevent  his  words  will  be  well  under- 
stood by  the  Most  Uigh.  He  may  only  look  up  with  misty 
eye ;  but  "  prayer  is  the  falling  of  a  tear."  Tears  are  the 
diamonds  of  heaven ;  sighs  are  a  part  of  the  music  of  Jeho- 
vah's court,  and  are  nuiubered  with  "  the  sublimest  strains 
that  reach  the  Majesty  on  high."  Think  not  that  your  prayer, 
however  weak  or  trembling,  will  be  unregarded.  Jacob's 
ladder  is  lofty,  but  our  prayer  shall  lean  upon  the  angel  of 
the  covenant,  and  so  climb  its  starry  rounds.  Our  God  not 
only  hears  prayer,  but  also  loves  to  hear  it.  "  He  forgetteth 
not  the  cry  of  the  humble."  True,  lie  regards  not  high  looks 
and  lofty  words ;  He  cares  not  for  the  pomp  and  pageantry 
of  kings ;  He  listens  not  to  the  swell  of  martial  music ;  He 
regards  not  the  triumph  and  pride  of  man ;  but  wherever 
there  is  a  heart  big  with  sorrow,  or  a  lip  quivering  with 
agony,  or  a  deep  groan,  or  a  penitential  sigh,  the  heart  of 
Jehovah  is  open ;  He  marks  it  down  in  the  registry  of  Hia 
memory ;  He  puts  our  prayers,  like  rose  leaves,  between  the 
pages  of  His  book  of  remembrance,  and  when  the  volume  is 
opened  at  last,  there  shall  be  a  precious  fragrance  springing 
up  therefrom. 

"  Faith  asks  no  signal  from  the  skies, 
To  show  that  prayers  accepted  rise  ; 
Our  Priest  is  in  His  holy  place, 
And  answers  from  the  throne  of  grace." 


Nov.  4.  DAlLt    HEADINGS.  809 

"For  My  strenr/th  is  made  perfect  in  weakness"  —  2  Cor.  xii.  9. 

11^  PRIMARY  qualification  for  serving  God  with  any 
^   amount  of  success,  and  for  doing  God's  work  well  and 

^^  triunipliantly,  is  a  sense  of  our  own  weakness.  When 
God's  warrior  marches  forth  to  battle,  strong  in  his  own 
might;  when  he  boasts,  "I  know  that. I  shall  conquer;  my 
own  right  arm  and  my  conquering  sword  shall  get  unto  me 
the  victor}-,"  —  defeat  is  not  far  distant.  God  will  not  go 
forth  with  that  man  who  marches  in  his  own  strength.  He 
who  reckoncth  on  victory  thus,  has  reckoned  wrongly,  for 
"  it  is  not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit,  saith 
the  Lord  of  hosts."  They  who  go  forth  to  fight,  boasting 
of  their  prowess,  shall  return  with  their  gay  banners  trailed 
in  the  dust,  and  their  armor  stained  with  disgrace.  Those 
who  serve  God  must  serve  Him  in  His  own  way,  and  in  His 
strength,  or  He  will  never  accept  their  service.  That  which 
man  doth,  unaided  by  divine  strength,  God  can  never  own. 
The  mere  fruits  of  the  earth  Hq  casteth  away ;  He  will  only 
reap  that  corn,  the  seed  of  which  was  sown  from  heaven, 
watered  by  grace,  and  ripened  by  the  sun  of  divine  love. 
God  will  empty  out  all  that  thou  hast  before  He  will  put  His 
own  into  thee  ;  He  will  first  clean  out  thy  granaries  before 
He  will  fill  them  with  the  finest  of  the  wheat.  The  river  of 
God  is  full  of  water  ;  but  not  one  drop  of  it  flows  from  earthly 
springs.  God  will  have  no  strength  used  in  His  battles  but 
the  strength  which  He  Himself  imparts.  Are  you  mourning 
over  your  own  weakness  ?  Take  courage,  for  there  must  bo 
a  consciousness  of  weakness  before  the  Lord  will  give  thee 
victory.  Your  emptiness  is  tut  the  preparation  for  your 
being  filled,  and  your  casting  down  is  but  the  making  ready 
for  your  lifting  up. 

"  When  I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong ; 
Grace  is  m'-  shield,  and  Ctirist  my  song.*' 


310  DAILY   HEADINGS.  NoV.  5. 

"  No  weapon  that  is  formed  against  thee  shall  prosper." —  Isa.  liv.  17. 

^jIIIS  day  is  notable  in  English  history  for  three  great 
S  deliverances  wrought  by  God  for  us. 

The  first,  the  total  destruction  of  the  Spanish  Ar» 
mada,  by  the  breath  of  the  Almighty,  in  1588. 

"  When  mTghty  navies  from  afar, 
To  Britain  wafted,  floating  war, 
His  breath  dispersed  them  all  with  ease, 
And  sunk  their  terrors  in  the  seas." 

On  this  day  the  plot  of  the  Papists  to  destroy  our  Hou8« 
of  Parliament  was  discovered,  1605. 

"While  for  our  princes  they  prepare 
In  caverns  deep  a  burning  snare, 
He  shot  from  heaven  a  piercing  ray, 
And  the  dark  treachery  brought  to  day." 

Yet,  thirdly,  to-day  is  the  anniversary  of  the  landing  of 
King  William  III.  at  Torbay,  by  which  the  hope  of  Popish  as- 
cendency was  quashed,  and  religious  liberty  was  secured,  1688. 

This  day  ought  to  be  celebrated,  not  by  the  saturnalia  of 
striplings,  but  by  the  songs  of  saints.  Our  Puritan  fore- 
fathers most  devoutly  made  it  a  special  time  of  thanksgiving; 
there  is  extant  a  record  of  the  annual  sermons  preached  by 
Matthew  Henry  on  this  day.  Our  Protestant  feeling,  and 
our  love  of  liberty,  should  make  us  regard  its  anniversary 
with  holy  gratitude.  Let  our  hearts  and  lips  exclaiir.  "  We 
have  heard  with  our  ears,  and  our  fathers  have  told  us,  the 
wondrous  things  which  Thou  didst  in  their  day,  and  in  the 
old  time  before  them."  Thou  hast  made  this  nation  the 
home  of  the  gospel ;  and  when  the  foe  has  risen  against  her. 
Thou  hast  shielded  her.  Thrice  repeated  songs  for  thrice 
repeated  deliverances.  Grant  us  more  and  more  a  hatred 
of  Antichrist,  and  hasten  on  the  day  of  her  entire  extinction. 
Till  then  and  ever,  we  believe  the  promise,  "  No  weapon 
that  is  formed  against  thee  shall  prosper." 


Nov.  6.  DAILY   EEAI  IKGS.  dl  1 


"  I  will  pour  water  vpon  him  that  is  thirsty ^ — Isaiah  xliv.  3. 


rilEN  a  believer  has  fallen  into  a  low,  sad  state  of 
h  feeling,  he  often  tries  to  lift  himself  out  of  it  b^ 
chastening  himself  with  dark  and  doleful  fears.  Such 
is  not  the  way  to  rise  from  the  dust,  but  to  continue  in  it. 
As  well  chain  the  eagle's  wing  to  make  it  mount,  as  doubt 
in  order  to  increase  our  grace.  It  is  not  the  law,  but  the 
gospel,  which  saves  the  seeking  soul  at  first ;  and  it  is  not  a 
legal  bondage,  but  gospel  liberty,  which  can  restore  the  faint- 
ing believer  afterwards.  Slavish  fear  brings  not  back  the 
backslider  to  God,  but  the  sweet  wooings  of  love  allure  him 
to  Jesus'  bosom.  Are  you  this  morning  thireting  for  the 
living  God,  and  unhappy  because  you  cannot  find  Him  to 
the  delight  of  your  heart  ?  Have  you  lost  the  joy  of  religion, 
and  is  this  your  prayer,  "  Restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  Thy 
salvation  "  ?  Are  you  conscious,  also,  that  you  are  barren, 
like  the  dry  ground  ?  that  you  are  not  bringing  forth  the 
fruit  unto  God  which  He  has  a  right  to  expect  of  you  ?  that 
you  are  not  so  useful  in  the  Church,  or  in  the  world,  as  your 
heart  desires  to  be  ?  Then  here  is  exactly  the  promise  which 
you  need :  "  I  will  pour  water  upon  him  that  is  thirsty." 
You  shall  receive  the  grace  you  so  much  require,  and  you 
shall  have  it  to  the  utmost  reach  of  your  needs.  Water  re- 
freshes the  thirsty :  you  shall  be  refreshed ;  your  desires 
shall  be  gratified.  Water  quickens  sleeping  vegetable  life : 
your  life  shall  be  quickened  by  fresh  grace.  Water  swells 
the  buds,  and  makes  the  fruits  ripen  :  you  shall  have  fructi- 
fying grace ;  you  shall  be  made  fruitful  in  the  ways  of  God. 
Whatever  good  quality  there  is  in  divine  grace,  you  shaU 
enjoy  it  to  the  fuh.  All  the  riches  of  divine  grace  you  shall 
receive  in  plenty  ;  you  shall  be,  as  it  were,  drenched  with 
it :  and  as  sometimes  the  meadows  become  flooded  by  the 
bursting  rivers,  and  the  fields  are  turned  into  pools,  so  sbaU 
you  be  —  the  th  rsty  land  shall  be  springs  of  water. 


6\i  DAILY   KEADaNGS.  NoV.  ?. 

"  Behold,  I  have  graven  thee  upon  the  palms  of  my  handb." 
Isaiah  xlix.  16. 

0  doubt  a  part  of  the  wonder  which  is  concentrated  in 
,,  the  word  "  Behold,^'  is  excited  by  the  unbelieving 
lamentation  of  the  preceding  sentence.  Zion  said, 
'•  The  Lord  hath  forsaken  me,  and  my  God  hath  forgotten 
me."  How  amazed  the  divine  mind  seems  to  be  at  this 
wicked  unbelief !  What  can  be  more  astounding  than  the 
unfounded  doubts  and  fears  of  God's  favored  people  ?  The 
Lord's  loving  word  of  rebuke  should  make  us  blush.  lie  cries, 
"  How  can  I  have  forgotten  thee,  when  I  have  graven  thee 
upon  the  palms  of  My  hands  ?  How  darest  thou  doubt  My 
constant  remembrance,  when  the  memorial  is  set  upon  My 
very  flesh  ? "  0  unbelief,  how  strange  a  marvel  thou  art ! 
We  know  not  which  most  to  wonder  at,  the  faithfulness  of 
God  or  the  unbelief  of  His  people.  He  keeps  his  promise  a 
thousand  times,  and  yet  the  next  trial  makes  us  doubt  Him. 
He  never  faileth  ;  He  is  never  a  dry  well ;  He  is  never  as  a 
setting  sun,  a  passing  meteor,  or  a  melting  vapor  ;  and  yet 
we  are  as  continually  vexed  with  anxieties,  molested  with 
suspicions,  and  disturbed  with  fears,  as  if  our  God  were  the 
mirage  of  the  desert.  "  Behold  "  is  a  word  intended  to  excite 
admiration.  Here,  indeed,  we  have  a  theme  for  marvelling. 
Heaven  and  earth  may  well  be  astonished  that  rebels  should 
obtain  so  great  a  nearness  to  the  heart  of  infinite  love  as  to 
be  written  upon  the  palms  of  His  hands.  "  I  have  graven 
thee."  It  does  not  say,  "  thy  name."  The  name  is  there, 
but  that  is  not  all :  "  I  have  graven  </iee."  See  the  fulness 
of  this  !  I  have  graven  thy  person,  thine  image,  thy  case, 
thy  circumstances,  thy  sins,  thy  temptations,  thy  weaknesses, 
thy  wants,  thy  works  ;  I  have  graven  thee,  everything  about 
thee,  all  that  concerns  thee  ;  I  have  put  thee  altogether 
there.  Wilt  thou  ever  say  again  that  thy  God  hath  forsaken 
thee,  when  He  has  graven  thee  upon  His  own  palms  ? 


Nov.  8.  DAILY    REAmNGS.  818 


"As  ye  have  received  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord."  —  Col.  ii.  6. 

SHE  life  of  faith  is  represented  as  receiving  —  an  ad 
\h  which  implies  the  very  opposite  of  anything  like  merit. 
It  is  simply  the  acceptance  of  a  gift.  As  the  earth 
drinks  in  the  rain,  as  the  sea  receives  the  streams,  as  night 
accepts  light  from  the  stars,  so  we,  giving  nothing,  partake 
freely  of  the  grace  of  Grod.  The  saints  are  not,  by  nature 
wells,  or  streams ;  they  are  but  cisterns  into  which  the  living 
water  flows  ;  they  are  empty  vessels  into  which  God  poun 
"His  salvation.  The  idea  of  receiving  implies  a  sense  of  real- 
ization, making  the  matter  a  reality.  One  cannot  very  well 
receive  a  shadow  ;  we  receive  that  which  is  substantial :  so  is 
it  in  the  life  of  faith,  Christ  becomes  real  to  us.  While  we  are 
without  faith,  Jesus  is  a  mere  name  to  us  —  a  person  who  lived 
a  long  while  ago,  so  long  ago  that  His  life  is  only  a  history 
to  us  now  !  By  an  act  of  faith  Jesus  becomes  a  real  person 
in  the  consciousness  of  our  heart.  But  receiving  also  means 
grasping,  or  getting  possession  of.  The  thing  which  I  receive 
becomes  my  own  :  I  appropriate  to  myself  that  which  is  given. 
Wuen  I  receive  Jesus,  He  becomes  my  Saviour,  so  mine  that 
neither  life  nor  death  shall  be  able  to  rob  me  of  Him.  All 
this  it  is  to  receive  Christ  —  to  take  Him  as  God's  free  gift ; 
to  realize  Him  in  my  heart,  and  to  appropriate  Him  as  mine. 
Salvation  may  be  described  as  the  blind  receiving  sight, 
the  deaf  receiving  hearing,  the  dead  receiving  life  ;  but  we 
have  not  only  received  these  blessings,  we  have  received 
Christ  Jesus  Himself.  It  is  true  that  He  gave  us  life  from 
the  dead.  He  gave  us  pardon  of  sin ;  He  gave  us  imputed 
righteousness.  These  are  all  precious  things,  but  we  are  not 
content  with  them  ;  we  have  received  Christ  Himself.  The 
Son  of  God  has  been  poured  into  us,  and  we  have  received 
Him,  and  appropriated  Him.  What  a  heartful  Jesus  must 
be,  for  heaven  itself  cannot  contain  Him  I 
27 


SI 4  l)AtLt   HEADINGS.  K'oV.  ft. 

"  So  wiilk  ye  in  Him."  —  Colossians  ii.  6. 


^?^[Jf/^F  we  have  received  Christ  Himself  in  our  inmost  hearts, 
i^||'{^  our  new  life  will  manifest  its  intimate  acquaintance 
y/^RI^  y,\i]^  Him  by  a  ivalk  of  faith  in  Him.  Walking  im- 
plies action.  Our  religion  is  not  to  be  confined  to  our  closet; 
we  must  carry  out  into  practical  effect  that  which  we  believe. 
If  a  man  walks  in  Christ,  then  he  so  acts  as  Christ  would  act ; 
for  Christ  being  in  him,  his  hope,  his  love,  his  joy,  his  life, 
he  is  the  reflex  of  the  image  of  Jesus;  and  men  say  of  that 
man,  "  He  is  like  his  Master ;  he  lives  like  Jesus  Christ." 
Walking  signifies  progress.  "  So  walk  ye  in  Him  ;  "  proceed 
from  grace  to  grace,  run  forward  until  you  reach  the  utter- 
most degree  of  knowledge  that  a  man  can  attain  concerning 
our  Beloved.  Walking  implies  continuance.  There  must 
be  a  perpetual  abiding  in  Christ.  How  many  Christians 
think  that  in  the  morning  and  evening  they  ought  to  come 
into  the  company  of  Jesus,  and  may  then  give  their  hearts  to 
the  world  all  the  day !  But  this  is  poor  living ;  we  should 
always  be  with  Him,  treading  in  His  steps,  and  doing  His 
will.  Walking  also  implies  habit.  When  we  speak  of  a  man's 
walk  and  conversation,  we  mean  his  habits,  the  constant 
tenor  of  his  life.  Now,  if  we  sometimes  enjoy  Christ,  and 
then  forget  Him  ;  sometimes  call  Him  ours,  and  anon  lose 
our  hold,  that  is  not  a  habit ;  we  do  not  walk  in  Him.  We 
must  keep  to  Him,  cling  to  Him,  never  let  Him  go,  but  live 
and  have  our  being  in  Him.  "  As  ye  have  received  Christ 
Jesus  the  Lord,  so  walk  ye  in  Him  ; "  persevere  in  the  same 
way  in  which  ye  liave  begun,  and,  as  at  the  first  Christ  Jesus 
was  the  trust  of  your  faith,  the  source  of  your  life,  the  prin- 
ciple of  your  action,  and  the  joy  of  your  spirit,  so  let  Him  be 
the  same  till  life's  end  ;  the  same  when  you  walk  through  the 
valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  and  enter  into  the  joy  and  the 
rest  which  remain  for  the  people  of  God.  0  Holy  Spirit, 
enable  us  to  obey  this  heavenly  precept. 


ihV.   10.  DAILY    READINGS.  315 

"  T/ie  eternal  God  is  thy  refuge."  —  Deut.  xxy'iii.  27. 

[*gIIE  word  refuge  may  be  translated  "mans'on,"  or 
"  abiding-place,"  which  gives  the  thonghtthat  God  m 
o»r  abode,  our  home.  There  is  a  fulness  and  ?weetLes8 
in  the-  metaphor,  for  dear  to  our  hearts  is  our  home,  although 
it  be  the  humblest  cottage,  or  the  scantiest  garret ;  and  dear- 
er far  is  our  blessed  God,  in  whom  we  live,  and  move,  and 
have  our  being.  It  is  at  home  that  we  feel  safe :  we  shut 
the  world  out  and  dwell  in  quiet  security.  So  when  we  are 
with  our  God  we  "  fear  no  evil."  He  is  our  shelter  and 
retreat,  our  abiding  refuge.  At  home,  ive  take  our  rest ;  it 
is  there  we  find  repose  after  the  fatigue  and  toil  of  the  day. 
And  so  our  hearts  find  rest  in  God,  when,  wearied  with  life's 
conflict,  we  turn  to  Him,  and  our  soul  dwells  at  ease.  At 
home  also,  we  let  our  hearts  loose;  we  are  not  afraid  of  being 
misunderstood,  nor  of  our  words  being  misconstrued.  So 
when  we  are  with  God  we  can  commune  freely  with  him,  lay- 
ing open  all  our  hidden  desires ;  for  if  the  "  secret  of  the 
Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  Him,"  the  secrets  of  them  that 
fear  Him  ought  to  be,  and  must  be,  with  their  Lord.  Home, 
*oo,  is  the  place  of  our  truest  and  purest  happiness  ;  and  it  is 
in  God  that  our  hearts  find  their  deepest  delight.  We  have 
joy  in  Him  which  far  surpasses  all  other  joy.  It  is  also  for 
home  that  we  work  and  labor.  The  thought  of  it  gives  strength 
to  bear  the  daily  burden,  and  quickens  the  fingers  to  perform 
the  task;  and  in  this  sense  we  may  also  say  that  God  is  our 
home.  Love  to  Him  strengthens  us.  We  think  of  Him  in 
the  person  of  His  dear  Son  ;  and  a  glimpse  of  the  suficring 
face  of  the  Redeemer  constrains  us  to  labor  in  His  cause. 
We  feel  that  we  must  work,  for  we  have  brethren  jet  to  be 
saved,  and  we  have  our  Father's  heart  to  make  glad  by  bring- 
ing home  His  wandering  sous  ;  we  would  fill  with  holy  mirth 
the  sacred  family  among  whom  we  dwell.  Hap^iy  are  those 
*ho  have  thus  the  God  of  Jacob  for  their  refuse  I 


816  DAILY    READINGS.  ^OV.  11. 

"  Underneath  are  the  everlasting  arms."  —  Deut.  xxxiii.  27. 

I^OD  —  the  eternal  God  —  is  Himself  our  support  at  all 
times,  and  especially  when  we  are  sinking  in  deep 
trouble.  There  are  seasons  when  the  Christian  sinks 
very  low  in  humiliation.  TJnder  a  deep  sense  of  his  great 
sinfulness,  he  is  humbled  before  God  till  he  scarcely  knows 
how  to  pray,  because  he  appears,  in  his  own  sight,  so  worth- 
less. AVell,  child  of  God,  remember  that  when  thou  art  at 
thy  worst  and  lowest,  yet  "  underneath  "  thee  "  are  the  ever- 
lasting arms."  Sin  may  drag  thee  ever  so  low,  but  Christ's 
great  atonement  is  still  under  all.  You  may  have  descended 
into  the  deeps,  but  you  cannot  have  fallen  so  low  as  "  the 
uttermost;"  and  to  the  uttermost  He  saves.  Again,  the 
Christian  sometimes  sinks  very  deeply  in  sore  trial  from  with- 
out. Every  earthly  prop  is  cut  away.  What  then  ?  Still 
underneath  him  are  "  the  everlasting  arms."  He  cannot  fall 
so  deep  in  distress  and  affliction  but  what  the  covenant  grace 
Df  an  ever-faithful  God  will  still  encircle  him.  The  Christ^jn 
maybe  sinking  under  trouble  from  within  through  fierce  con- 
flict, but  even  then  he  cannot  be  brought  so  low  as  to  be  be- 
yond the  reach  of  the  "  everlasting  arms" — they  are  under- 
neath him ;  and,  while  thus  sustained,  all  Satan's  efforts  to 
harm  avail  nothing. 

This  assurance  of  support  is  a  comfort  to  any  weary  but 
earnest  worker  in  the  service  of  God.  It  implies  a  promise  of 
strength  for  each  day,  grace  for  each  need,  and  power  for  each 
duty.  And,  further,  when  death  comes,  the  promise  shall  still 
hold  good.  When  we  stand  in  the  midst  of  Jordan,  we  shall  be 
able  to  say  with  David,  "  I  will  fear  no  evil,  for  Thou  art  with 
me."  We  shall  descend  into  the  grave,  butwe  shallgo  no  lower, 
for  the  eternal  arms  prevent  our  further  fall.  All  through  life, 
and  at  its  cbse,  we  shall  be  upheld  by  the  "  everlasting  arms  " 
—  arms  that  neither  flag  noi  lose  their  strength,  for  "  thfl 
everlasting  God  fainteth  not,  neither  is  weary." 


"^OV.   li.  DAILY    RKADlSriaS.  51^ 

"  The  trial  of  your  faith."  —  1  Peter  i.  7. 

Jl^^^AITII  untried  may  be  true  faith,  but  it  is  sure  to 
W  be  little  faith,  and  it  is  likely  to  remain  dwarQsh  so 
long  as  it  is  without  trials.  Faith  never  pro.sperj 
so  well  as  when  all  things  are  against  her ;  tempests  arc 
her  trainers,  and  lightnings  are  her  illuminators.  When 
a  calm  reigns  ;  n  the  sea,  spread  the  sails  as  you  will,  the 
uhip  moves  not  to  its  harbor ;  for,  on  a  slumbering  ocean, 
the  keel  sleeps  too.  Let  the  winds  rush  howling  forth,  and 
let  the  waters  lift  up  themselves,  then,  though  the  vessel  may 
rock,  and  her  deck  may  be  washed  with  waves,  and  her  masw 
may  creak  under  the  pressure  of  the  full  and  swelling  sail,  it 
is  then  that  she  makes  headway  towards  her  desired  haven. 
No  flowers  wear  so  lovely  a  blue  as  those  which  grow  at  the 
foot  of  the  frozen  glacier  ;  no  stars  gleam  so  brightly  as  those 
which  glisten  in  the  polar  sky ;  no  water  tastes  so  sweet  as 
that  which  springs  amid  the  desert  sand ;  and  no  faith  is  so 
precious  as  that  which  lives  and  triumphs  in  adversity.  Tried 
faith  brings  experience.  You  could  not  have  believed  your 
own  weakness  had  you  not  been  compelled  to  pass  through  the 
rivers  ;  and  you  would  never  have  known  Grod's  strength  had 
you  not  been  supported  amid  the  water-floods.  Faith  in- 
creases in  solidity,  assurance,  and  intensity,  the  more  it  is 
exercised  with  tribulation.  Faith  is  precious,  and  its  trial  is 
precious  too. 

Let  not  this,  however,  discourage  those  who  are  young  in 
faith.  You  will  have  trials  enough  without  seeking  them  ; 
the  full  portion  will  be  measured. out  to  you  in  due  season. 
Meanwhile,  if  you  cannot  yet  claim  the  result  of  long  experi- 
ence, thank  God  for  what  grace  you  have  ;  praise  Him  for 
tliat  degree  of  holy  confidence  whercunto  you  have  attained  ; 
walk  according  to  that  rule,  and  you  shall  yet  have  more  and 
more  of  the  blessing  of  God,  till  your  faith  shall  remove 
mooutains  and  conquer  impossibilities. 
27* 


9i&  DAILY   REAIHNG8.  NoV.  iS. 

"  The  branch  cannot  hear  fruit  of  itself ." — John  xv.  4. 

^^^^OW  did  you  begin  to  bear  fruit  ?  It  was  when  you 
kj^XI  came  to  Jesus  and  cast  yourself  on  His  great 
^^*^^  atonement,  and  rested  on  His  finislied  righteousness. 
Ah,  wl.at  fruit  you  had  then !  Do  you  remember  those  early 
days  ?  Then,  indeed,  the  vine  flourished,  the  tender  grapes 
appeared,  the  pomegranates  budded  forth,  and  the  beds  of 
epices  gave  forth  their  smell.  Have  you  declined  since  then  : 
If  you  have,  we  charge  you  to  remember  that  time  of  love, 
and  repent,  and  do  thy  first  works.  Be  most  in  those  engage- 
ments which  you  have  experimentalli/  proved  to  draiu  you  near' 
est  to  Christ,  because  it  is  from  Him  that  all  your  fruits  pro- 
ceed. Any  holy  exercise  which  will  bring  you  to  Him  will 
help  you  to  bear  fruit.  The  sun  is,  no  doubt,  a  great  worker 
in  fruit-creating  among  the  trees  of  the  orchard ;  and  Jesus 
is  still  more  so  among  the  trees  of  His  garden  of  grace. 
When  have  you  been  the  most  fruitless  ?  Has  not  it  been 
when  you  have  lived  farthest  from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
when  you  have  slackened  in  prayer,  when  you  have  departed 
from  the  simplicity  of  your  faith,  when  your  graces  have  en- 
frrossed  your  attention  instead  of  your  Lord,  when  you  have 
said,  "  My  mountain  standeth  firm,  I  shall  never  be  moved  ;" 
and  have  forgotten  where  your  strength  dwells  —  has  not  it 
been  then  that  your  fruit  has  ceased  ?  Some  of  us  have  been 
taught  that  we  have  nothing  out  of  Christ,  by  terrible  alase- 
ments  of  heart  before  the  Lord  ;  and  when  we  have  seen  the 
utter  barrenness  and  death  of  all  creature  power,  we  have 
cried  in  anguish,  "  From  Him  all  my  fruit  must  be  found,  for 
no  fruit  can  ever  come  from  me."  We  are  taught,  by  past 
experience,  that  the  more  simply  we  depend  upon  the  grace 
of  God  in  Christ,  and  wait  upon  the  Holy  fepirit,  the  more 
we  shall  bring  forth  fruit  unto  God.  Oh,  to  trust  Jesus  foi 
fruit  as  well  as  for  life  1 


.\krf.  14  DAILY   ttfeAbiNds.  Sift 

"  /  will  cut  offthem  that  worship  and  that  swear  by  the  Lord,  and 
that  swear  by  Malcham."  —  Zephaniah  i.  5. 

*^^:tSUCII  persons  thought  themselves  safe  because  thej 
S^  were  with  both  parties  :  they  went  with  the  followers 
of  Jehovah,  and  bowed  at  the  same  time  to  Malcham. 
But  duplicity  is  abominable  with  God,  ani  hypocrisy  hia 
60ul  hatetli.  The  idolater  who  distinctly  gives  himself  to  his 
false  god,  has  one  sin  less  than  he  who  brings  his  polluted 
and  detestable  sacrifice  unto  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  while 
his  heart  is  with  the  world  and  the  sins  thereof.  To  hold 
with  the  hare  and  run  with  the  hounds,  is  a  dastard's  policy. 
In  the  common  matters  of  daily  life,  a  double-minded  man  ia 
despised,  but  in  religion  he  is  loathsome  to  the  last  degree. 
The  penalty  pronounced  in  the  verse  before  us  is  terrible, 
but  it  is  well  deserved  ;  for  how  should  divine  justice  spare 
the  sinner,  who  knows  the  rigiit,  approves  it,  and  professes 
to  follow  it,  and  all  the  while  loves  the  evil,  and  gives  it 
dominion  in  his  heart  ? 

My  soul,  search  thyself  this  morning,  and  see  whether  thou 
art  guilty  of  double-dealing.  Thou  professest  to  be  a  fol- 
lower of  Jesus  —  dost  thou  truly  love  Him?  Is  thy  heart 
right  with  God  ?  Art  thou  of  the  family  of  old  Father  Honest, 
or  art  thou  a  relative  of  Mr.  By-ends  ?  A  name  to  live  is  of 
little  value  if  I  be  indeed  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins.  Tc 
have  one  foot  on  the  land  of  truth,  and  another  on  the  sea 
of  falsehood,  will  involve  a  terrible  fall,  and  a  total  ruin. 
Christ  will  be  all  or  nothing.  God  fills  the  whole  universe, 
and  hence  there  is  no  room  for  another  god ;  if,  then,  He 
reigns  in  m^  heart,  there  will  be  no  space  for  another  reign- 
it  g  power.  Do  I  rest  alone  on  Jesus  crucified,  and  live 
»lone  for  Him  ?  Is  it  my  desire  to  do  so  ?  Is  my  heart  set 
apou  so  doing?  If  so,  blessed  be  the  mighty  grace  which 
bas  led  me  to  salvation  ;  and  if  not  so,  O  Lord,  pardon  inj 
lad  offence,  and  unite  my  heart  to  fear  Thy  name. 


S20  DAILY    iREAblNGS.  NoV.   15 

"  TJie  Lord's  portion  is  His  people."  —  Deuteronomy  xxxii.  9. 

r^OW  are  they  His  ?  By  His  own  sovereign  choice. 
\j  He  chose  them,  and  set  His  love  upon  tuem.  Thia 
'^'**'^  He  did  altogether  apart  from  any  goodness  in  thtm 
at  the  time,  or  any  goodness  which  He  foresaw  in  them.  He 
had  mercy  on  whom  He  would  have  mercy,  and  ordained  a 
chosen  company  unto  eternal  life  ;  thus,  therefore,  are  they 
His  by  His  unconstrained  election. 

They  are  not  only  His  by  choice,  but  by  purchase.  He 
has  bought  and  paid  for  them  to  the  utmost  farthing  ;  hence, 
about  His  title  there  can  be  no  dispute.  Not  with  corrupti- 
ble things,  as  with  silver  and  gold,  but  with  the  precious 
blood  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Lord's  portion  has  been 
fully  redeemed.  There  is  no  mortgage  on  His  estate ;  no 
suits  can  be  raised  by  opposing  claimants  ;  the  price  was  paid 
in  open  court,  and  the  Church  is  the  Lord's  freehold  forever 
See  the  blood-mark  upon  all  the  chosen,  invisible  to  human 
eye,  but  known  to  Christ,  for  "  the  Lord  knoweth  them  that 
are  His  ;  "  He  forgetteth  none  of  those  whom  He  has  re- 
deemed from  among  men  ;  He  counts  the  sheep  for  whom 
He  laid  down  His  life,  and  remembers  well  the  Church  for 
which  He  gave  Himself. 

They  are  also  His  by  conquest.  What  a  battle  He  had  in 
us  before  we  would  be  won  !  How  long  He  laid  siege  to  our 
hearts  !  how  often  He  sent  us  terms  of  capitulation  !  but  we 
barred  our  gates,  and  fenced  our  walls  against  Him.  Do  we 
not  remember  that  glorious  hour  when  He  carried  our  hearts 
by  storm  ?  when  He  placed  Hi&  cross  against  the  wall,  and 
eicaled  our  ramparts,  planting  on  our  strongholds  the  blood- 
red  flag  of  His  omnipotent  mercy  ?  Yes,  we  are,  indeed,  the 
conquered  captives  of  His  omnipotent  love.  Thus  chosen, 
purchased,  and  subdued,  the  rights  of  our  divine  possessor  are 
inalienable:  we  rejoice  that  we  never  can  be  our  own;  and  wo 
desire,  day  by  day,  to  do  His  will,  and  to  show  forth  His  glory. 


t^ov.  16.  CailV  nfeAbtNc.s.  S'il 

"  Ihe  Lord  is  my  portion,  sailh  mij  soul."  —  Lam.  iii.  24. 

^1['5J^T  is  not  "  The  Lord  is  partly  my  portion,"  nor  "  The 
^1  ^^  Lord  is  m  my  portion  ; "  but  He  Ilimsclf  makes  up 
the  sum  total  of  my  soul's  inheritance.  Within  the 
circumference  of  that  circle  lies  all  that  we  possess  or  desire. 
Tbe  Lord  is  my  portion.  Not  His  grace  merely,  nor  His 
love,  nor  His  covenant,  but  Jehovah  Himself.  He  has  chosen 
U3  for  His  portion,  and  we  have  chosen  Him  for  ours.  It  is 
true  that  the  Lord  must  first  choose  our  inheritance  for  us, 
or  else  we  shall  never  choose  it  for  ourselves ;  but  if  we  are 
really  called  according  to  the  purpose  of  electing  love,  we 
can  sing  — 

"  Loved  of  my  God,  fo»  Him  again 

With  love  intense  I  burn  ; 
Chosen  of  Him  ere  time  began, 

I  choose  Him  in  return." 

The  Lord  is  our  all-sufficient  portion.  God  fills  Himself;  and 
if  God  is  all-sufficient  in  Himself,  He  must  be  all-sufficient 
for  us.  It  is  not  easy  to  satisfy  man's  desires.  When  he 
dreams  that  he  is  satisfied,  anon  he  wakes  to  the  perception 
that  there  is  somewhat  yet  beyond,  and  straightway  the 
horse-leech  in  his  heart  cries,  "  Give,  give."  But  all  that 
we  can  wish  for  is  to  be  found  in  our  divine  portion,  so  that 
we  ask,  "  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee  ?  and  there  is 
none  upon  earth  that  I  desire  beside  Thee."  Well  may  we 
"  delight  ourselves  in  the  Lord,"  who  makes  us  to  drink  of 
the  river  of  His  pleasures.  Our  faith  stretches  her  wings 
and  mounts  like  an  eagle  into  the  heaven  of  divine  love  as 
to  her  proper  dwelling-place.  "  The  lines  have  fallen  to  us 
in  pleasant  places ;  yea,  we  have  a  goodly  heritage."  Let 
ilB  rejoice  in  the  Lord  always ;  let  us  show  to  the  world  that 
we  are  a  happy  and  a  blessed  people,  and  thus  induce  them 
to  exclaim,  "  We  will  go  with  you.  for  we  have  heard  thai 
God  is  with  you." 


S22  i)AltT   READINGS.  NoV.  \1 . 

"  To  whom  be  glory  forever.    Amen."  —  Romans  xi.  36. 

[^*S0  whom  be  glory  forever.  This  should  be  the  singh 
1^  desire  of  the  Christian.  All  other  wishes  must  be 
subservient  and  tributary  to  this  one.  The  Christian 
may  wish  for  prosperity  in  his  business,  but  only  so  far  as  it 
may  help  him  to  promote  this  —  "  To  Him  be  glory  forever." 
He  may  desire  to  attain  more  gifts  and  more  graces,  but  it 
should  only  be  that  "  to  Him  may  be  glory  forever."  You 
are  not  acting  as  you  ought  to  do  when  you  are  moved  by 
any  other  motive  than  a  single  eye  to  your  Lord's  glory.  As 
a  Christian,  you  are  "  of  God,  and  through  God  ;  "  then  live 
"  to  God."  Let  nothing  ever  set  your  heart  beating  so 
mightily  as  love  to  Him.  Let  this  ambition  fire  your  soul ; 
be  this  the  foundation  of  every  enterprise  upon  ,vhich  you 
enter,  and  this  your  sustaining  motive  whenever  your  zeal 
would  grow  chill ;  make  God  your  only  object.  Depend 
upon  it,  where  self  begins,  sorrow  begins  ;  but  if  God  be  my 
supreme  delight  and  only  object, 

"  To  me  'tis  equal  whether  lore  ordain 
My  life  or  death  —  appoint  me  ease  or  pain." 

Let  your  desire  for  God's  glory  be  a  growing  desire.  Tou 
blessed  Him  in  your  youth;  do  not  be  content  with  such 
praises  as  you  gave  Him  then.  Has  God  prospered  you  in 
business  ?  Give  Him  more  as  He  has  given  you  more.  Has 
God  given  you  experience  ?  Praise  Him  by  stronger  faith 
than  you  exercised  at  first.  Does  your  knowledge  grow  ? 
Then  sing  more  sweetly.  Do  you  enjoy  happier  times  than 
you  once  had  ?  Have  you  been  restored  from  sickness,  and 
has  your  sorrow  been  turned  into  peace  and  joy  ?  Then  give 
Him  more  music ;  put  more  coals  and  more  sweet  frankin- 
cense into  the  censer  of  your  praise.  Practically  in  your 
life,  give  Him  honor,  putting  the  "  Amen  "  to  this  doxology 
to  your  great  and  gracious  Lord,  by  your  own  individual  ser- 
vice and  increa&ing  holiness. 


Nov.  18.  Daily  readings.  323 

"  A  spring  shut  up,  a  fountain  sealed."  — Canticles  iv.  12. 

^?^y/N  this  inotaphor,  which  has  reference  to  the  inner  life 
^1  '^i  ^^  ^  believer,  we  have  very  jjlainly  the  idea  of  secrecy. 
y/^^vaJ.  jj  jg  j^  spring  shut  up :  just  as  there  were  springs  in 
the  East,  over  which  an  edifice  was  built,  so  tliat  none  cfuld 
reach  them  save  those  who  knew  the  secret  entrance  ;  s(/  is 
the  heart  of  a  believer  when  it  is  renewed  by  grace :  therr 
is  a  mysterious  life  within  which  no  human  skill  can  touch, 
It  is  a  secret  which  no  other  man  knoweth  ;  nay,  which  the 
very  man  who  is  the  possessor  of  it  cannot  tell  to  his  neigh- 
bor. The  text  includes  not  only  secrecy,  but  separation.  It 
is  not  the  common  spring,  of  which  every  passer-by  may 
drink ;  it  is  one  kept  and  preserved  from  all  others ;  it  is  a 
fountain  bearing  a  particular  mark,  —  a  king's  royal  seal,  -  so 
that  all  can  perceive  that  it  is  not  a  common  fountain,  but  a 
fountain  owned  by  a  proprietor,  and  placed  specially  by 
itself  alone.  So  is  it  with  the  spiritual  life.  The  chosen 
of  Grod  were  separated  in  the  eternal  decree  ;  they  were 
separated  by  God  in  the  day  of  redemption  ;  and  they  are 
separated  by  the  possession  of  a  life  which  others  hare  not ; 
and  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  feel  at  home  with  the  world, 
or  to  delight  in  its  pleasures.  There  is  also  the  idea  of 
tacredness.  The  spring  shut  up  is  preserved  for  the  use  of 
some  special  person  :  and  such  is  the  Christian's  heart.  It 
is  a  spring  kept  for  Jesus.  Every  Christian  should  feel  that 
he  has  God's  seal  upon  him  —  and  he  should  be  able  to  say 
with  Paul,  "  From  henceforth  let  no  man  trouble  me,  for  I 
bear  in  my  body  the  marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus."  Another 
idea  is  prominent  —  it  is  that  of  security.  Oh  I  how  sure 
and  safe  is  the  inner  life  of  the  believer  !  If  all  the  powers 
of  earth  and  hell  could  combine  against  it,  that  immortal 
principle  must  still  exist,  for  He  whc  gave  it  pledged  Hia 
life  for  its  preservation.  And  who  "  is  he  that  shall  barm 
you,"  when  God  is  your  protector  ? 


324  DAILY    READINGS.  NoV.   19. 


**  Avoid  foolish  questions.''^  —  Titus  iii.  9. 

'S'^UIl  days  are  few,  and  are  far  better  spent  in  doing 
good  than  in  disputing  over  matters  which  are,  at 

^'^^  best,  of  minor  importance.  The  old  schoolmen  did 
a  world  of  mischief  by  their  incessant  discussion  of  subjects 
of  no  practical  importance ;  and  our  Churches  suffer  much 
from  petty  wars  over  abstruse  points  and  unimportant  ques- 
tions. After  everything  has  been  said  that  can  be  said, 
neither  party  is  any  the  wiser,  and  therefore  the  discussion 
no  more  promotes  knowledge  than  love,  and  it  is  foolish  to 
BOW  in  so  barren  a  field.  Questions  upon  points  wherein 
Scripture  is  silent ;  upon  mysteries  which  belong  to  God 
alone  ;  upon  prophecies  of  doubtful  interpretation  ;  and  upon 
mere  modes  of  observing  human  ceremonials,  are  all  foolish, 
and  wise  men  avoid  them.  Our  business  is  neither  to  ask 
nor  answer  foolish  questions,  but  to  avoid  them  altogether ; 
and  if  we  observe  the  apostle's  precept  (Titus  iii.  8)  to  be 
careful  to  maintain  good  works,  we  shall  find  ourselves  far 
too  much  occupied  with  profitable  business  to  take  much 
interest  in  unworthy,  contentious,  and  needless  strivings. 

There  are,  however,  some  questions  which  are  the  reverse 
of  foolish,  which  we  must  not  avoid,  but  fairly  and  honestly 
meet,  such  as  these :  Do  I  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ? 
Am  I  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  my  mind  ?  Am  I  walking,  not 
after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit  ?  Am  I  growing  in  grace  ? 
Does  my  conversation  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  my  Saviour? 
Am  I  looking  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  and  watching  aa 
a  servant  should  do  who  expects  his  master  ?  What  more 
can  I  do  for  Jesus  ?  Such  inquiries  as  these  urgently  de- 
mand our  attention ;  and  if  we  have  been  at  all  given  to 
cavilling,  let  us  now  turn  our  critical  abilities  to  a  service  so 
much  more  profitable.  Let  us  be  peacemakers,  and  endeavor 
to  lead  others,  both  by  our  precept  and  example,  to  "  avoid 
foolish  questions." 


Nov.   20.  DAILY    READINGS.  325 

"  0  Lord,  Thou  hast  pleaded  the  causes  of  my  soul."  —  Lam  iii.  58. 

^^jj^BSEIlVE  how  positively  the    prophet    speaks.      lie 

4/ilvi)  ^^^^  "°*  ^^y*  "■'■  ^^V^f  I  trust,  I  sometimes  think, 
i^^^^*^  that  God  hath  pleaded  the  causes  of  my  soul ; "  but 
he  speaks  of  it  as  a  matter  of  fact  not  to  be  disputed. 
"  Thou  hast  pleaded  the  causes  of  my  soul."  Let  us,  by  the 
aid  of  the  gracious  Comforter,  shake  off  those  doubts  and 
fears  which  so  much  mar  our  peace  and  comfort.  Be  this 
our  prayer,  that  we  may  have  done  with  the  harsh,  croaking 
voice  of  surmise  and  suspicion,  and  may  be  able  to  speak 
with  the  clear,  melodious  voice  of  full  assurance.  Notice 
how  gratefully  the  prophet  speaks,  ascribing  all  the  glory  to 
God  alone!  You  perceive  there  is  not  a  word  concerning 
himself  or  his  own  pleadings.  He  doth  not  ascribe  his  de- 
.iverance  in  any  measure  to  any  man,  much  less  to  his  own 
merit :  but  it  is  "  Thou"  —  "0  Lord,  Thou  hast  pleaded  the 
causes  of  my  soul ;  Thou  hast  redeemed  my  life."  A  grate- 
ful spirit  should  ever  be  cultivated  by  the  Christian  ;  and 
especially  after  deliverances  we  should  prepare  a  song  for 
our  God.  Earth  should  be  a  temple  filled  with  the  songs  of 
grateful  saints,  and  every  day  should  be  a  censer  smoking 
with  the  sweet  incense  of  thanksgiving.  Hovf  joyful  J ctc- 
niiah  seems  to  be  while  he  records  the  Lord's  mercy !  How 
triumphantly  he  lifts  up  the  strain  !  He  has  been  in  the  low 
dungeon,  and  is  even  now  no  other  than  the  weeping  prophet; 
and  yet  in  the  very  book  which  is  called  "  Lamentations," 
clear  as  the  song  of  Miriam  when  she  dashed  her  fingers 
against  the  tabor,  shrill  as  the  note  of  Deborah  when  she 
met  Barak  with  shouts  of  victory,  we  hear  the  voice  of  Jere- 
my going  up  to  heaven  —  "Thou  hast  pleaded  the  causes 
of  my  soul ;  Thou  hast  redeemed  my  life."  0  children  of 
God,  seek  after  a  vital  experience  of  the  Lord's  loving- 
kindness,  and  when  you  have  it,  speak  positively  of  it,  sing 
gratefully,  shout  triumphantly. 
28 


826  DAILY    BEADINGS.  NoV.  31. 

"Grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit."  —  Ephesians  iv.  30. 

■^LL  that  the  believer  has  must  come  from  Christ,  but 
it  comes  solely  through  the  channel  of  the  Spirit  of 
all  grace.  Moreover,  as  all  blessings  thus  flow  to 
you  through  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  also  no  good  thing  can  come 
out  of  you  in  holy  thought,  devout  worship,  or  gracious  act, 
apart  from  the  sanctifying  operation  of  the  same  Spirit. 
Even  if  the  good  seed  be  sown  in  you,  yet  it  lies  dormant 
except  He  worketh  in  you  to  will  and  to  do  of  His  own  good 
pleasure.  Do  you  desire  to  speak  for  Jesus  —  how  can  you 
unless  the  Holy  Grhost  touch  your  tongue  ?  Do  you  desire 
to  pray  ?  Alas  !  what  dull  work  it  is  unless  the  Spirit  maketh 
intercession  for  you  !  Do  you  desire  to  subdue  sin  ?  Would 
you  be  holy  ?  Would  you  imitate  your  Master  ?  Do  you 
desire  to  rise  to  superlative  heights  of  spirituality  ?  Are 
you  wanting  to  be  made,  like  the  angels  of  God,  full  of  zeal 
and  ardor  for  the  Master's  cause  ?  You  cannot  without  the 
Spirit  —  "  Without  Me  ye  can  do  nothing."  0  branch  of 
the  vine,  thou  canst  have  no  fruit  without  the  sap  !  0  child 
of  God,  thou  hast  no  life  within  thee  apart  from  the  life 
which  God  gives  thee  through  His  Spirit !  Then  let  us  not 
grieve  Him,  or  provoke  Him  to  anger  by  our  sin.  Let  us 
not  quench  Him  in  one  of  His  faintest  motions  in  our  soul; 
let  us  foster  every  suggestion,  and  be  ready  to  obey  every 
prompting.  If  the  Holy  Spirit  be  indeed  so  mighty,  let  us 
attempt  nothing  without  Him  ;  let  us  begin  no  project,  and 
carry  on  no  enterprise,  and  conclude  no  transaction,  without 
imploring  His  blessing.  Let  us  do  Him  the  due  homage  of 
feeling  our  entire  weakness  apart  from  Him,  and  then  de- 
pending alone  upon  Him,  having  this  for  our  prayer,  "Open 
Thou  my  heart  and  my  whole  being  to  Thine  incoming,  and 
uphold  me  with  Thy  free  Spirit  when  I  shall  have  r€ceiTed 
that  Spirit  in  my  inward  parts." 


JfoV.   22.  DAILY    REAIHNGB.  327 

"  Israel  served  for  a  wife,  and  for  a  icife  he  kept  sheep." 
Hosea  xii.  12. 

ACOB,  while  expostulating  with  Laban,  thus  describes 
]  his  own  toil :  "  This  twenty  years  have  I  been  with 


onto  thee  :  I  bare  the  loss  of  it ;  of  my  hand  didst  thou  re- 
quire it,  whether  stolen  by  day,  or  stolen  by  night.  Thus  I 
was :  in  the  day  the  drought  consumed  me,  and  the  frost  by 
night ;  and  my  sleep  departed  from  mine  eyes."  Even  more 
toilsome  than  this  was  the  life  of  our  Saviour  here  below. 
He  watched  over  all  His  sheep  till  He  gave  in  as  His  last 
account,  "  Of  all  those  whom  Thou  hast  given  me,  I  have 
lost  none."  His  hair  was  wet  with  dew,  and  His  locks  with 
the  drops  of  the  night.  Sleep  departed  from  His  eyes,  for 
all  night  He  was  in  prayer,  wrestling  for  His  people.  One 
night,  Peter  must  be  pleaded  for ;  anon,  another  claims  His 
tearful  intercession.  No  shepherd  sitting  beneath  the  cold 
skies,  looking  up  to  the  stars,  could  ever  utter  such  com- 
plaints, because  of  the  hardness  of  his  toil,  as  Jesus  Christ 
might  have  brought,  if  He  had  chosen  to  do  so,  because  of 
the  sternness  of  His  service  in  order  to  procure  Pis  spouse. 

"  Cold  mountains,  and  the  midnight  air, 
Witnessed  the  fervor  of  His  prayer ; 
The  desert  His  temptations  knew, 
His  conflict  and  His  victory  too." 

It  is  sweet  to  dwell  upon  the  spiritual  parallel  of  Laban 
having  required  all  the  sheep  at  Jacob's  hand.  If  they  were 
torn  of  beasts,  Jacob  must  make  it  good  ;  if  any  of  them  died, 
he  must  stand  as  surety  for  the  whole.  Was  not  the  toil  of 
Jesus  for  His  Church  the  toil  of  one  who  was  under  surety- 
ship obligations  to  bring  every  believing  one  safe  to  the  hand 
of  Him  who  had  committed  them  to  His  charge  ?  Look  upon 
toiling  Jacob,  and  yru  see  a  representation  of  Him  of  whom 
'je  read,  "  He  shall  feed  His  flock  like  a  shepherd." 


328  DAILY   HEADINGS.  NoV.  23. 

"  Fellousliip  with  Him." —  1  John  i.  6. 

^^-^1^*^'^^  we  were  united  by  faith  to  Christ,  we  were  brought 
WW/i  into  such  complete  fellowship  with  Him,  that  we  were 
^*''*^  made  one  with  Ilim,  and  His  interests  and  ours  be- 
came mutual  and  identical.  We  have  fellowship  with  Christ 
in  His  love.  What  He  loves  we  love.  He  loves  the  saints 
—  so  do  wo.  He  loves  sinners  —  so  do  we.  He  loves  the 
poor  perishing  race  of  man,  and  pants  to  see  earth's  deserts 
transformed  into  the  garden  of  the  Lord — so  do  we.  We 
have  fellowship  with  Him  in  His  desires.  He  desires  the 
glory  of  God  —  we  also  labor  for  the  same.  He  desires  that 
the  saints  may  be  with  Him  where  He  is  —  we  desire  to  b« 
with  Him  there  too.  He  desires  to  drive  out  sin  —  behold, 
we  fight  under  His  ba,nuer.  He  desires  that  His  Father's 
name  may  be  loved  and  adored  by  all  His  creatures  —  we 
pray  daily,  "  Let  Thy  kingdom  come,  and  Thy  will  be  done 
on  earth,  even  as  it  is  in  heaven."  We  have  fellowship  witu 
Christ  in  His  sufferings.  We  are  not  nailed  to  the  cross,  nor 
do  we  die  a  cruel  death  ;  but  when  He  is  reproached,  we  are 
reproached ;  and  a  very  sweet  thing  it  is  to  be  blamed  for 
His  sake,  to  be  despised  for  following  the  Master,  to  have 
the  world  against  us.  The  disciple  should  not  be  above  His 
Lord.  In  our  measure  we  commune  with  Him  in  His  labors, 
ministering  to  men  by  the  word  of  truth  and  by  deeds  of  love. 
Our  meat  and  our  driuk,  like  His,  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him 
who  hath  sent  us,  and  to  finish  His  work.  We  have  also  fel- 
lowship with  Christ  in  His  joys.  We  are  happy  in  His  hap- 
piness, we  rejoice  in  His  exaltation.  Have  you  ever  tasted 
that  joy,  believer  ?  There  is  no  purer  or  more  thrilling  de- 
light to  be  known  this  side  heaven  than  that  of  having  Christ's 
joy  fulfilled  in  us,  that  our  joy  may  be  full.  His  glory  awaits 
us  to  complete  our  fellowship,  for  His  Church  shall  sit  with 
Him  apon  His  throne,  as  His  well-beloved  bride  and  queeq, 


Nov.  24.  DAILY    READINGS.  329 

**  The  glorious  Lord  will  be  unto  ua  a  place  of  broad  rivers  and 
streams." — Isaiah  xxxiii.  21. 

<^ROAI)  rivers  and  streams  produce  fertility,  and  abun- 
dance in  the  land.  Places  near  broad  rivers  are  re- 
'^^  markablo  for  the  variety  of  their  plants  and  their 
plentiful  harvests.  God  is  all  this  to  His  Church.  Having 
God  she  has  abundcttice.  What  can  she  ask  for  that  He  will 
not  give  her?  What  N^ant  can  she  mention  which  He  will  not 
supply  ?  "  In  this  mountain  shall  the  Lord  of  Hosts  make 
unto  all  people  a  feast  of  fat  things."  Want  ye  the  bread 
of  life  ?  It  drops  like  manna  from  the  sky.  Want  ye  re- 
freshing streams  ?  The  rock  follows  you,  and  that  Hock  is 
Christ.  If  you  suffer  any  want,  it  is  your  own  fault;  if  you 
are  straitened,  you  are  not  straitened  in  Him,  but  in  your  own 
bowels.  Broad  rivers  and  streams  also  point  to  commerce. 
Our  glorious  Lord  is  to  us  a  place  of  heavenly  merchandise. 
Through  our  Redeemer  we  have  commerce  with  the  past ; 
the  wealth  of  Calvary,  the  treasures  of  the  covenant,  the 
riches  of  the  ancient  days  of  election,  the  stores  of  eternity, 
all  come  to  us  down  the  broad  stream  of  our  gracious  Lord. 
We  have  commerce,  too,  witK  the  future.  What  galleys, 
laden  to  the  water's  edge,  come  to  us  from  the  millennium ! 
What  visions  we  have  of  the  days  of  heaven  upon  earth! 
Through  our  glorious  Lord  we  have  commerce  with  angels  ; 
communion  with  the  bright  spirits  washed  in  blood,  who  sing 
before  the  throne  ;  nay,  better  still,  we  have  fellowship  with 
the  Infinite  One.  Broad  rivers  and  streams  are  Bpecially 
iatcndcd  to  set  forth  the  idea  of  security.  Rivers  were  of 
old  a  defence.  Oh  !  beloved,  what  a  defence  is  God  to  His 
Church  !  The  devil  cannot  cross  this  broad  river  of  God. 
How  he  wishes  he  could  turn  the  current !  but  fear  not,  for 
God  abideth  immutably  the  same.  Satan  may  worry,  but  he 
cannot  destroy  us  ;  no  galley  with  oars  shall  invade  our  rivefi 
neither  shall  gallant  ship  pass  thereby. 
38* 


330  DAILY    EIADIIfGS.  NoV.   25. 

"  To  preach  deliverance  to  the  captives."  —  Luke  iv.  18. 

f^SuONE   but   Jesus  can   give   deliverance  to   captives. 

YfJ!^  Real  liberty  cometh  from  Him  only.  It  is  a  liberty 
righteously  bestowed ;  for  the  Son,  who  is  Heir  of  all 
thingj,  has  a  right  to  make  men  free.  The  saints  honor  the 
justice  of  God,  which  now  secures  their  salvation.  It  is  a 
liberty  vhich  has  been  dearly  purchased.  Christ  speaks  it  ly 
His  power,  but  Ho  boaght  it  by  His  blood.  He  makes  thee 
free,  but  it  is  by  His  OA-n  bonds.  Thou  goest  clear,  because 
He  bare  thj  burden  for  thee  :  thou  art  set  at  liberty,  because 
He  has  sufteied  in  thy  5>t5&d.  But,  though  dearly  purchased, 
He  freely  gives  it.  Jesus  fl.5ks  nothing  of  us  as  a  preparation 
for  this  liberty.  He  finds  na  sitting  in  sackcloth  and  ashes, 
and  bids  us  put  on  the  beautiful  array  of  freedom  ;  He  savea 
us  just  as  we  are,  and  all  witboat  our  help  or  merit.  When 
Jesus  sets  free,  the  liberty  is  perpetually  entailed;  no  chains 
can  bind  again.  Let  the  Master  say  to  me,  "  Captive,  I 
have  delivered  thee,"  and  it  is  done  forever.  Satan  may 
plot  to  enslave  us,  but  if  the  Lord  Le  on  our  side,  whom  shall 
we  fear  ?  The  world,  with  its  tenip tations,  may  seek  to  en- 
snare us,  but  mightier  is  He  who  is  for  us  than  all  they  who 
be  against  us.  The  machinations  of  oair  own  deceitful  hearts 
may  harass  and  annoy  us,  but  He  who  hath  begun  the  good 
work  in  us  will  carry  it  on  and  perfect  it  to  the  end.  The 
foes  of  God  and  the  enemies  of  man  may  gather  their  hof  ta 
together,  and  come  with  concentrated  fury  against  us,  but  if 
God  acquitteth,  who  is  he  that  condemneth  ?  Not  more  free 
is  the  eagle  which  mounts  to  his  rocky  eyrie,  and  afterwards 
outsoars  the  clouds,  than  the  soul  which  Christ  hath  delivered. 
If  we  are  no  more  under  the  law,  but  free  from  its  curse,  let 
our  liberty  be  practically  exhibited  in  our  serving  God  with 
gratitude  and  delight.  "  I  am  Thy  servant,  and  the  son  of 
Thine  handmaid  :  Thou  hast  loosed  my  boudSt"  *'  Lordf 
what  wilt  Thou  have  me  to  do  ?" 


Nov.  26.  DAILY   READINGS.  331 


"  WJiatsoevcr  thy  handfindeih  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might" 
Ecclesiastes  ix.  10. 

^f^l^^HATSOEVER  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  refers  to  works 
%niwk  ^'*^'  ^^^  possible.  There  are  many  things  which  our 
J^^^^  heart  findeth  to  do  which  we  never  shall  do.  It  ia 
well  it  is  in  our  heart;  but  if  wc  would  be  eminently  useful, 
we  must  not  be  content  with  forming  schemes  in  our  heart, 
and  talking  of  them  ;  we  must  practically  carry  out  "  ivhat- 
soever  our  hand  findeth  to  do.''  One  good  deed  is  more  worth 
than  a  thousand  brilliant  theories.  Let  us  not  wait  for  large 
opportunities,  or  for  a  different  kind  of  work,  but  do  just  the 
things  we  "  find  to  do  "  day  by  day.  We  have  no  other  time  in 
which  to  live.  The  past  is  gone  ;  the  future  has  not  arrived  ; 
we  never  shall  have  any  time  but  time  present.  Then  do  not 
wait  until  your  experience  has  ripened  into  maturity  before 
you  attempt  to  serve  God.  Endeavor  now  to  bring  forth 
fruit.  Serve  God  now,  but  be  careful  as  to  the  way  in  which 
you  perform  what  you  find  to  do  —  "  do  it  with  thy  might'* 
T)o  it  promptly ;  do  not  fritter  away  your  life  in  thinking  of 
what  you  intend  to  do  to-morrow,  as  if  that  could  recompense 
for  the  idleness  of  to-day.  No  man  ever  served  God  by  do- 
ing things  to-morrow.  If  we  honor  Christ  and  are  blessed, 
it  is  by  the  things  which  we  do  to-day.  Whatever  3'ou  do 
for  Christ,  throw  your  whole  soul  into  it.  Lo  not  give  Christ 
a  little  slurred  labor,  done  as  a  matter  of  course  now  and 
then  ;  but  when  you  do  serve  Ilim,  do  it  with  heart,  and  soul, 
and  strength. 

IJut  where  is  the  might  of  a  Christian  ?  It  is  not  in  him- 
»  self,  for  he  is  perfect  weakness.  His  might  lieth  in  the  Lord 
i)f  Hosts.  Then  let  us  seek  His  help  ;  let  us  proceed  with 
prayer  and  faith,  and  when  we  have  done  what  our  "  hand 
Hadeth  to  do,"  let  as  wait  upon  the  Lord  for  His  blessing. 
What  we  do  thus  will  be  well  done,  and  will  not  fail  in  its 
effect. 


832  DAILY   READINGS.  NoV.  27. 

"Joshua,  the  high  jjriest,  standing  before  the  angel  of  the  Lord." 
Zechariah  iii.  1. 

^?^  Jf^N  Joshua,  the  high  priest,  we  see  a  picture  of  each  and 
'^1  *:?i  <^'^6i7  child  of  God,  wlio  has  been  made  nigh  by  the 
y/^RKy  blood  of  Christ,  and  has  been  taught  to  minister  io 
holy  things,  and  enter  into  that  which  is  within  the  veil. 
Jesus  has  made  us  priests  and  kings  unto  God,  and  even 
here  upon  earth  we  exercise  the  priesthood  of  consecrated 
living  and  hallowed  service.  But  this  high  priest  is  said  to 
be  "  standing  before  the  angel  of  the  Lord,"  that  is,  standing 
to  minister.  This  should  be  the  perpetual  position  of  every 
true  believer.  Every  place  is  now  God's  temple,  and  His 
people  can  as  truly  serve  Him  in  their  daily  employments, 
as  in  His  house.  They  are  to  be  always  "  ministering," 
offering  the  sjiiritual  sacrifice  of  prayer  and  praise,  and  pre- 
senting themselves  a  "  living  sacrifice."  But  notice  where  it 
is  that  Joshua  stands  to  minister ;  it  is  before  the  angel  of 
Jehovah.  It  is  only  through  a  mediator  that  we  poor  defiled 
ones  can  ever  become  priests  unto  God.  I  present  what  I 
have  before  the  messenger,  the  angel  of  the  covenant,  the 
Lord  Jesus ;  and  through  Him  my  prayers  find  acceptance 
wrapped  up  in  His  prayers  ;  my  praises  become  sweet  as  they 
are  boimd  up  with  bundles  of  myrrh,  and  aloes,  and  cassia, 
from  Christ's  own  garden.  If  I  can  bring  Him  nothing  but 
my  tears,  He  will  put  them  with  His  own  tears  in  His  own 
bottle,  for  He  once  wept ;  if  I  can  bring  Him  nothing  but  my 
groans  and  sighs,  He  will  accept  these  as  an  acceptable  sacri- 
fice, for  He  once  was  broken  in  heart,  and  sighed  heavily  in 
Bpirit.  I  myself,  standing  in  Him,  am  accepted  in  the  Be- 
loved ;  and  all  my  polluted  works,  though  in  themselves  only 
objects  of  divine  abhorrence,  are  so  received,  that  God 
smelleth  a  sweet  savor.  He  is  content,  and  I  am  blessed. 
See,  then,  the  position  of  the  Christian  —  "  a  priest — stand- 
ing —  before  the  angel  of  the  Lord." 


Nov.  28.  DAILY    READINGS.  888 

"  For  I  rejoiced  (jreaihj  when  the  brethren  came  and  testified  of 
the  truth  that  is  in  thee,  even  as  thou  walkest  in  the  truth," 
3  John  3. 


'SITE  truth  was  in  Gaius,  and  Gaius  walked  in  the  truth. 

|g  If  the  first  had  not  been  the  case,  the  second  could 
never  have  occurred ;  and  if  the  second  could  not  have 
been  said  of  him,  the  first  woidd  have  been  a  mere  pretence. 
Truth  must  enter  into  the  soul,  penetrate  and  saturate  it,  or 
else  it  is  of  no  value.  Doctrines  held  as  a  matter  of  creed, 
are  like  bread  in  the  hand,  which  ministers  no  nourishment 
to  the  frame ;  but  doctrine  accepted  by  the  heart,  is  as  food 
digested,  which,  by  assimilation,  sustains  and  builds  up  the 
body.  In  us  truth  must  be  a  living  force,  an  active  energy, 
an  indwelling  reality,  a  part  of  the  woof  and  warp  of  our  be- 
ing. If  it  be  in  us,  we  cannot  henceforth  part  with  it.  A 
man  may  lose  his  garments  or  his  limbs,  but  his  inward  parts 
are  vital,  and  cannot  be  torn  away  without  absolute  loss  of 
life.  A  Christian  can  die,  but  he  cannot  deny  the  truth. 
Now,  it  is  a  rule  of  nature,  that  the  inward  affects  the  out- 
ward, as  light  shines  from  the  centre  of  the  lantern  through 
the  glass  ;  when,  therefore,  the  truth  is  kindled  within,  its 
brightness  soon  beams  forth  in  the  outward  life  and  conversa- 
tion. It  is  said  that  the  food  of  certain  worms  colors  the 
coooons  of  silk  which  they  spin ;  and  just  so  the  nutriment 
upon  which  a  man's  inward  nature  lives,  gives  a  tinge  to 
every  word  and  dr  3d  proceeding  from  him.  To  walk  in  the 
truth,  imports  a  lite  of  integrity,  holiness,  faithfulness,  and 
simplicity  —  the  natural  product  of  those  principles  of  truth 
which  the  gospel  teaches,  and  which  the  Spirit  of  God  en- 
«Ues  us  to  receive.  We  may  judge  of  the  secrets  of  the 
•.)ul  by  their  manifestation  in  the  man's  conversation.  Be  it 
c-'ATS  to-day,  0  gracious  Spirit,  to  be  ruled  and  governed  by 
Thy  divine  authority,  so  that  nothing  false  or  sinful  may 
reign  in  our  hearts,  lest  it  extend  its  malignant  influence 
to  our  daily  walk  among  men. 


834  DAILY    READINGS.  NoV.  29. 


Thou  shall  not  go  up  and  down  as  a  tale-bearer  among  thp 
people.  .  .  TIiou  shall  in  any  wise  rebuke  thy  neighbor,  and 
not  suffer  siii  upon  him." —  Leviticus  xix.  16,  17. 

js^ALE-BEAKING-  emits  a  threefold  poison  ;  for  it  in- 
jures tbe  teller,  the  hearer,  and  the  person  concern- 
ing whom  the  tale  is  told.  Whether  the  report  be 
true  or  false,  we  are  by  this  precept  of  Grod's  Word  forbidden 
to  spread  it.  The  reputations  of  the  Lord's  people  should 
be  very  precious  in  our  sight,  and  we  should  count  it  shame 
to  help  the  devil  to  dishonor  the  Church  and  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  Some  tongues  need  a  bridle  rather  than  a  spur. 
Many  glory  in  pulling  down  their  brethren,  as  if  thereby  they 
raised  themselves.  Noah's  wise  sons  cast  a  mantle  over  their 
father,  and  he  who  exposed  him  earned  a  fearful  curse.  We 
may  ourselves,  one  of  these  dark  days,  need  forbearance 
and  silence  from  our  brethren  ;  let  us  render  it  cheerfully  to 
those  who  require  it  now.  Be  this  our  family  rule,  and  our 
personal  bond  —  Speak  evil  of  no  man. 

The  Holy  Spirit,  however,  permits  us  to  censure  sin,  and 
prescribes  the  way  in  which  we  are  to  do  it.  It  must  be  done 
by  rebuking  our  brother  to  his  face,  not  by  railing  behind  his 
back.  This  course  is  manly,  brotherly,  Christ-like,  and, 
under  God's  blessing,  will  be  useful.  Does  the  flesh  shrink 
from  it  ?  Then  we  must  lay  the  greater  stress  upon  our  con- 
science, and  keep  ourselves  to  the  work,  lest  by  suffering  sin 
upon  our  friend,  we  become  ourselves  partakers  of  it.  Hun- 
dreds have  been  saved  from  gross  sin  by  the  timely,  wise, 
affectionate  warnings  of  faithful  ministers  and  brethren.  Our 
Lord  Jesus  has  set  us  a  gracious  example  of  how  to  deal 
with  erring  friends  in  His  warning  given  to  Peter,  the 
prayer  with  which  He  preceded  it,  and  the  gentle  way  in 
which  He  bore  with  Pefter's  boastful  denial  that  he  needed 
BQcb  a  caution. 


Kov.  90.  Daily  eeadings,  835 


**And  Amaziah  said  to  the  mail  of  Ood,  But  what  shall  we  do  for 
the  hundred  talaits  which  I  have  given  to  the  army  of  Israel'^ 
And  the  man  of  God  answered,  The  Lord  is  able  to  give  thvt 
much  more  than  this." —  2  Chronicles  xxv.  9. 


[[^  VERY  important  question  this  seemed  to  be  to  th« 
"^  king  of  Judah,  and  possibly  it  is  of  even  more  weight 
with  the  tried  and  tempted  Christian.  To  lose  money 
is  at  no  times  pleasant,  and  when  principle  involves  it,  the 
flesh  is  not  always  ready  to  make  the  sacrifice.  "  Why  lose 
that  which  may  be  so  usefully  employed  ?  May  not  truth 
itself  be  bought  too  dear  ?  What  shall  we  do  without  it  ? 
Kemember  the  children,  and  our  small  income."  All  these 
things,  and  a  thousand  more,  would  tempt  the  Christian  to 
put  forth  his  hand  to  unrighteous  gain,  or  stay  himself  from 
carrying  out  his  conscientious  convictions,  when  they  involve 
serious  loss.  All  men  cannot  view  these  matters  in  the  light 
of  faith ;  and  even  with  the  followers  of  Jesus,  the  doctrine 
of  "  we  must  live  "  has  quite  sufficient  weight. 

The  Lord  is  able  to  give  thee  much  more  than  this,  is  a  very 
satisfactory  answer  to  the  anxious  question.  Our  Father 
holds  the  purse-strings,  and  what  we  lose  for  His  sake  He 
can  repay  a  thousand-fold.  It  is  ours  to  obey  His  will,  and 
we  may  rest  assured  that  He  will  provide  for  us.  The  Lord 
will  be  no  man's  debtor  at  the  last.  Saints  know  that  a 
grain  of  heart's-ease  is  of  more  value  than  a  ton  of  gold. 
He  who  wraps  a  threadbare  coat  about  a  good  conscience 
has  gained  a  spiritual  wealth  far  more  desirable  than  any  lie 
has  lost.  God's  smile  and  a  dungeon  are  enough  for  a  true 
heart ;  His  frown  and  a  palace  would  be  hell  to  a  gracious 
Bpirit.  Let  the  worst  come  to  the  worst,  let  all  the  talents 
go,  we  have  not  lost  our  treasure,  for  that  is  above,  where 
Christ  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God.  Meanwhile,  ever 
now,  the  Lord  raaketh  the  nrt;ek  to  inherit  the  earth,  and  nc 
good  thiijg  doth  He  withhold  from  them  that  walk  uprightly 


336  liAILY    EEAlilifGS.  DcC.   1. 

"  Tliou  hast  made  summer  and  winter."  —  Psalm  Ixxiv.  17. 

p)Y  soul,  begin  this  wintry  month  with  thy  God.  The 
cold  snows  and  the  piercing  winds  all  remind  the*, 
that  He  keeps  His  covenant  with  day  and  night,  and 
tend  to  assure  thee  that  He  will  also  keep  that  glorious 
covenant  which  He  has  made  with  thee  in  the  person  of 
Jesus  Christ.  He  who  is  true  to  His  Word  in  the  revolu- 
tions of  the  seasons  of  this  poor  sin-polluted  world,  will  not 
prove  unfaithful  in  His  dealings  with  His  own  well-beloved 
Son. 

Winter  in  the  soul  is  by  no  means  a  comfortable  season, 
and  if  it  be  upon  thee  just  now,  it  will  be  very  painful 
to  thee  :  but  there  is  this  comfort,  namely,  that  the  Lord 
makes  it.  He  sends  the  sharp  blasts  of  adversity  to  nip  the 
buds  of  expectation  ;  He  scattereth  the  hoar-frost  like  ashes 
over  the  once  verdant  meadows  of  our  joy ;  He  casteth  forth 
His  ice  like  morsels,  freezing  the  streams  of  our  delight. 
He  does  it  all ;  He  is  the  great  Winter  King,  and  rules  in 
the  realms  of  frost,  and  therefore  thou  canst  not  murmur. 
Losses,  crosses,  heaviness,  sickness,  poverty,  and  a  thousand 
other  ills,  are  of  the  Lord's  sending,  and  come  to  us  with 
wise  design.  Frosts  kill  noxious  insects,  and-  put  a  bound 
to  raging  diseases ;  they  break  up  the  clod." ,  and  sweeten 
the  soil.  0  that  such  good  results  would  alrays  follow  our 
winters  of  affliction !  —  How  we  prize  the  fire  jrst  now !  How 
pleasant  is  its  cheerful  glow  !  Let  us  in  the  same  manner 
prize  our  Lord,  who  is  the  constant  source  of  warmth  and 
comfort  in  every  time  of  trouble.  Let  us  draw  nigh  to 
Him,  and  in  Him  find  joy  and  peace  in  believing.  Let  us 
wrap  ourselves  in  the  warm  garments  of  His  promises,  and 
go  forth  to  labors  which  befit  the  season ;  for  it  were  ill  to 
bo  as  the  sluggard,  who  will  not  plough,  by  reason  of  the 
cold,  for  he  shall  beg  in  summer,  and  have  niiMng. 


Dec,  2.  t)AlLY    READINGS  33l 


"  Thou  art  all  fair,  my  love."  —  Solomon's  Son»  iv.  7. 

^l*r;HE  Lord's  admiration  of  His  Church  is  very  wonder- 
|1,  :^%  fill,  and  Ilis  description  of  her  beauty  is  very  glow- 
^^^^^^  ing.  She  is  not  merely  fair^  but  "  all  fair."  He 
views  her  in  Himself,  washed  in  His  sin-atoning  blood,  and 
clothed  in  His  meritorious  righteousness,  and  He  considers 
her  to  be  full  of  comeliness  and  beauty.  No  wonder  that 
Buch  is  the  case,  since  it  is  but  His  own  perfect  excellency 
that  He  admires,  for  the  holiness,  glory,  and  perfection  of 
His  Church  are  His  own  glorious  garments  on  the  back  of 
His  own  well-beloved  spouse.  She  is  not  simply  pure,  or 
well-proportioucd ;  she  is  positively  lovely  and  fair  !  She 
has  actual  merit !  Her  deformities  of  sin  are  removed  ;  but 
more,  she  has  through  her  Lord  obtained  a  meritorious 
righteousness,  by  which  an  actual  beauty  is  conferred  upon 
her.  Believers  have  a  positive  righteousness  given  to  them 
when  they  become  "  accepted  in  the  Beloved."  (Eph.  i.  6.) 
Nor  is  the  Church  barely  lovely ;  she  is  superlativdy  so.  Her 
Lord  styles  her,  "  Thou  fairest  among  women."  She  has  a 
real  worth  and  excellence,  which  cannot  be  rivalled  by  all 
the  nobility  and  royalty  of  the  world.  If  Jesus  could  ex- 
change His  elect  bride  for  all  the  queens  and  empresses  of 
earth,  or  even  for  the  angels  in  heaven.  He  would  not,  for 
He  puts  her  first  and  foremost  —  "  fairest  among  women." 
Like  the  moon,  she  far  outshines  the  stars.  Nor  is  this  an 
opinion  which  He  is  ashamed  of,  for  He  invites  all  men  to 
hear  it.  He  sets  a  "  behold "  before  it,  a  special  note  of 
exclamation,  inviting  and  arresting  attention.  '■'■Behold^ 
thou  art  fair,  my  love  ;  behold,  thou  art  fair."  (Sol.  Song 
iv.  1.)  His  opinion  He  publishes  abroad  even  now,  and 
one  day,  from  the  throne  of  His  glory.  He  will  avow  the 
truth  of  it  before  the  assembled  universe.  "  Come,  ye 
blessed  of  my  Father,"  (Matt.  xxv.  34,)  will  be  His  solemn 
affirmation  of  the  loveliness  of  His  elect. 
29 


33&  DAILY    READINGS.  l)eC.  S 

"  There  is  no  spot  in  thee."  —  Solomon's  Song  iv.  7. 

RAVING-  pronounced  His  Church  positively  full  of 
¥5  beauty,  our  Lord  confirms  His  praise  by  a  precioua 
negative :  "  There  is  no  spot  in  thee."  As  if  the 
thought  occurred  to  the  Bridegroom  that  the  carping  world 
would  insinuate  that  He  had  only  mentioned  her  comely 
parts,  and  had  purposely  omitted  those  features  which  were 
deformed  or  defiled.  He  sums  up  all  by  declaring  her  uni- 
versally and  entirely  fair,  and  utterly  devoid  of  stain.  A 
spo>.  may  soon  be  removed,  and  is  the  very  least  thing  that 
can  disfigure  beauty ;  but  even  from  this  little  blemish  the 
believer  is  delivered  in  his  Lord's  sight.  If  He  had  said 
there  is  no  hideous  scar,  no  horrible  deformity,  no  deadly 
ulcer,  we  might  even  then  have  marvelled ;  but  when  He 
testifies  that  she  is  free  from  the  slightest  spot,  all  these 
other  forms  of  defilement  are  included,  and  the  depth  of 
wonder  is  increased.  If  He  had  but  promised  to  remove  all 
spots  by-and-by,  we  should  have  had  eternal  reason  for  joy; 
but  when  He  speaks  of  it  as  already  done,  who  can  restrain 
the  most  intense  emotions  of  satisfaction  and  delight  ?  0 
my  soul,  here  is  marrow  and  fatness  for  thee ;  eat  thy  full, 
and  be  satisfied  with  royal  dainties.  Christ  Jesus  has  no 
quarrel  with  His  spouse.  She  often  wanders  from  Him,  and 
grieves  His  Holy  Spirit,  but  He  does  not  allow  Her  faults  to 
affect  His  love.  He  sometimes  chides,  but  it  is  always  in 
the  tenderest  manner,  with  the  kindest  intentions:  it  is  "mj 
love,"  even  then.  There  is  no  remembrance  of  our  follies ; 
He  does  not  cherish  ill  thoughts  of  us,  but  He  pardons,  and 
loves  as  well  after  the  ofience  as  before  it.  It  is  well  for  ua 
it  is  so,  for  if  Jesus  were  as  mindful  of  injuries  as  we  are, 
how  could  He  commune  with  us  ?  Many  a  time  a  believer 
will  pti  himself  out  of  humor  with  the  Lord  for  some  slight 
turn  in  providence,  but  our  precious  Husband  knows  oui 
silly  hearts  too  well  to  take  any  ofi"ence  at  our  ill  manners. 


Dec.  4.  Daily  RfiAbtNGS.  339 

"I  have  much  people  in  this  city" — Acts  xviii.  10. 

^r>""f  ^  J  HIS  should  be  a  great  encouragement  to  try  to  do 
1^  good,  siuce  God  has  among  the  vilest  of  the  vile,  the 
most  reprobate,  the  most  debauched  and  druiikcn, 
an  elect  people  who  must  be  saved.  When  you  take  the 
Word  to  them,  you  do  so  because  God  has  ordained  you  tc 
be  the  messenger  of  life  to  their  souls,  and  they  must  receive 
it,  for  so  the  decree  of  predestination  runs.  They  are  as 
much  redeemed  by  blood  as  the  saints  before  the  eternal 
throne.  They  are  Christ's  property  ;  and  yet  perhaps  they 
are  lovers  of  the  ale-house  and  haters  of  holiness ;  but  if 
Jesus  Christ  purchased  them  He  will  have  them,  God  is 
not  unfaithful,  to  forget  the  price  which  His  Son  has  paid. 
He  will  not  suifer  His  substitution  to  be  in  any  case  an  in- 
effectual, dead  thing.  Tens  of  thousands  of  redeemed  ones 
are  not  regenerated  yet,  but  regenerated  they  must  be  ;  and 
this  is  our  comfort  when  we  go  forth  to  them  with  the  quick- 
ening Word  of  God.  Nay,  more,  these  ungodly  ones  are 
prayed  for  by  Christ  before  the  throne.  "  Neither  pray  I 
for  these  alone,"'  saith  the  great  Intercessor;  "  but  for  them 
also  which  shall  believe  on  Me  through  their  word."  Poor, 
ignorant  souls,  they  know  nothing  about  prayer  for  them- 
selves, but  Jesus  prays  for  them.  Their  names  arc  on  his 
breastplate,  and  ere  long  they  must  bow  their  stubborn  knee, 
breathing  the  penitential  sigh  before  the  throne  of  grace. 
"  The  time  of  figs  is  not  yet."  The  predestinated  moment 
has  not  struck ;  but,  when  it  comes,  they  shall  obey,  for  God 
will  have  His  own  ;  they  must,  for  the  Spirit  is  not  to  be 
withstood  when  He  comcth  forth  with  fulness  of  power  — 
they  must  become  the  willing  servants  of  the  living  God, 
"31y  people  shall  be  willing  in  the  day  of  My  power."  "He 
Bhall  justify  many."  "  He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  His 
Boul."  "  I  will  divide  him  a  portion  with  the  great,  and  U« 
"hall  di\ide  llie  spoil  with  the  strong." 


840  i)AlLT   READINGJ,  DcC.  )i. 

"Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you."  —  Matthew  vii.  7. 

i^E  know  of  a  place  in  England,  still  existing,  where  a 
^  dole  of  bread  is  served  to  every  passer-by  who 
chooses  to  ask  for  it.  Whoever  the  traveller  may 
be,  he  has  but  to  knock  at  the  door  of  St.  Cross  Hospital, 
and  there  is  the  dole  of  bread  for  him.  Jesus  Christ  so  lov- 
eth  sinners  that  He  has  built  a  St.  Cross  Hospital,  so  that 
whenever  a  sinner  is  hungry,  he  has  but  to  knock  and  have 
his  wants  supplied.  Nay,  He  has  done  better ;  He  has  at- 
tached to  this  Hospital  of  the  Cross  a  bath  ;  and  whenever  a 
soul  is  black  and  filthy,  it  has  but  to  go  there  and  be  washed. 
The  fountain  is  always  full,  always  efficacious.  No  sinner 
ever  went  into  it  and  found  that  it  could  not  wash  away  his 
stains.  Sins  which  were  scarlet  and  crimson  have  all  disap- 
peared, and  the  sinner  has  been  whiter  than  snow.  As  if 
this  were  not  enough,  there  is  attached  to  this  Hospital  of 
the  Cross  a  wardrobe,  and  a  sinner,  making  application 
simply  as  a  sinner,  may  be  clothed  from  head  to  foot ;  and 
if  he  wishes  to  be  a  soldier,  he  may  not  merely  have  a  gar- 
ment for  ordinary  wear,  but  armor  which  shall  cover  him 
from  the  sole  of  his  foot  to  the  crown  of  his  head.  If  he 
asks  for  a  sword,  he  shall  have  that  given  to  him,  and  a 
shield  too.  Nothing  that  is  good  for  him  shall  be  denied 
him.  He  shall  have  spending  money  so  long  as  he  lives; 
and  he  shall  have  an  eternal  heritage  of  glorious  treasure 
vehen  he  enters  into  the  joy  of  his  Lord.  — If  all  these  things 
are  to  be  had  by  merely  knocking  at  mercy's  door,  O  my 
soul,  knock  hard  this  morning,  and  ask  large  things  of  thy 
generous  Lord.  Leave  not  the  throne  of  grace  till  all  thy 
wants  have  been  spread  before  the  Lord,  and  until  by  faith 
thou  hast  a  comfortable  prospect  that  they  shall  be  all  sup- 
plied. No  bashfulness  need  retard  when  Jesus  invites.  No 
unbelief  should  hinder  when  Jesus  promises.  No  cold-hearted- 
ness  should  restrain,  when  such  blessings  are  to  be  obtained 


Dec.   6.  DAILY    READINGS.  341 

"  As  is  tJie  lieavenhj,  such  arc  tltcy  also  Dial  are  heavenly." 
1  Corinthians  xv.  48. 


SHE  head  and  members  are  of  one  nature,  and  not  lik«i 
\  #?^|  that  monstrous  image  which  Nebuchadnezzar  saw  ia 
his  dream.  The  head  was  of  fine  gold,  but  the  boJly 
and  thighs  were  of  brass,  the  legs  of  iron,  and  the  feet,  part 
of  iron  and  part  of  clay.  Christ's  mystical  body  is  no  absurd 
combination  of  opposites ;  the  members  were  mortal,  and 
therofore  Jesus  died ;  the  glorified  head  is  immortal,  and 
therefore  the  body  is  immortal  too,  for  thus  the  record 
stands  :  "  Because  I  live,  ye  shall  live  also."  As  is  our  lov- 
ing head,  such  is  the  body,  and  every  member  in  particular. 
A  chosen  Head,  and  chosen  members  ;  an  accepted  Head, 
and  accepted  members ;  a  living  Head,  and  living  members. 
If  the  head  be  pure  gold,  all  the  parts  of  the  body  are  of 
pure  gold  also.  Thus  is  there  a  double  union  of  nature  as  a 
basis  for  the  closest  communion.  Pause  here,  devout  reader, 
and  see  if  thou  canst,  without  ecstatic  amazement,  contem- 
plate the  infinite  condescension  of  the  Son  of  God  in  thus 
exalting  thy  wretchedness  into  blessed  union  with  His 
glory.  Thou  art  so  mean  that,  in  remembrance  of  thy  mor- 
tality, thou  mayst  say  to  corruption,  "  Thou  art  my  father," 
and  to  the  worm,  "  Thou  art  my  sister ;  "  and  yet  in  Christ 
thou  art  so  honored  that  thou  canst  say  to  the  Almighty, 
**  Abba,  Father,"  and  to  the  Incarnate  God,  "  Thou  art  my 
brother  and  my  husband."  Surely  if  relationships  to  ancient 
and  noble  families  make  men  think  highly  of  themselves,  we 
have  whereof  to  glory  over  the  heads  of  them  all.  Let  the 
poorest  and  most  despised  believer  lay  hold  upon  this  privi- 
lege ;  let  not  a  senseless  indolence  make  him  negligent  to 
trace  his  pedigree,  and  let  him  suffer  no  foolish  attachment 
to  present  vanities  to  occupy  his  thoughts  to  the  exclusion 
of  this  glorious,  this  heavenly  honor  of  union  with  Christ. 
29* 


34^  hxtLY  iiEA.mN(J8.  t)eo.  t. 

"  Base  things  of  the  world  hath  God  chosen^ —  1  Cor.  i.  28. 

^"^^'^ALK  the  streets  by  moonlight,  if  you  dare,  and  you 
%  will  see  sinners  then.  Watch  when  the  night  is 
dark,  and  the  wind  is  howling,  and  the  picklock  is 
grating  in  the  door,  and  you  will  see  sinners  then.  Go  to 
you  jail,  and  walk  through  the  wards,  and  mark  the  men 
with  heavy,  over-hanging  brows,  men  whom  you  would  not 
like  to  meet  at  night,  and  there  are  sinners  there.  Oo  to 
the  reformatories,  and  note  those  who  have  betrayed  a  ram- 
pant juvenile  depravity,  and  you  will  see  sinners  there.  Go 
across  the  seas  to  a  place  where  a  man  will  gnaw  a  bone 
upon  which  is  reeking  human  flesh,  and  there  is  a  sinner 
there.  Go  where  you  will,  you  need  not  ransack  earth  to 
find  sinners,  for  they  are  common  enough  ;  you  may  find  them 
in  every  lane  and  street  of  every  city,  and  town,  and  village, 
and  hamlet.  It  is  for  such  that  Jesus  died.  If  you  will  se- 
lect me  the  grossest  specimen  of  humanity,  if  he  be  but  born 
of  woman,  I  will  have  hope  of  him  yet,  because  Jesus  Christ 
is  come  to  seek  and  to  save  sinners.  Electing  love  has  se- 
lected some  of  the  worst  to  be  made  the  best.  Pebbles  of 
the  brook  grace  turns  into  jewels  for  the  crown-royal. 
Worthless  dross  He  transforms  into  pure  gold.  Redeeming 
love  has  set  apart  many  of  the  worst  of  mankind  to  be  the 
reward  of  the  Saviour's  passion.  Effectual  grace  calls  forth 
many  of  the  vilest  of  the  vile  to  sit  at  the  table  of  mercy,  and 
therefore  let  none  despair. 

Reader,  by  that  love  looking  out  of  Jesus'  tearful  eyes ;  by 
that  love  streaming  from  those  bleeding  wounds ;  by  that 
faithful  love,  that  strong  love,  that  pure,  disinterested,  and 
abiding  love  ;  by  the  heart  and  by  the  bowels  of  the  Saviour's 
compassion,  we  conjure  you,  turn  not  away  as  though  it 
were  nothing  to  you ;  but  believe  on  Him.  and  you  shall  be 
Baved.  Trust  your  soul  with  liim,  and  He  will  bring  jou  to 
Uxo  rciti.er's  licht  hand  in  eflory  e'"^rlastin£[. 


Dec.  8.  iiAitA-  kteADii^os.  U^ 


'*  Thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sardis  which  have  not  defiled 
their  garments ;  and  tliey  shall  walk  with  Me  in  whUe,for  they 
are  worthy."  —  Revelation  iii.  4. 

I^E  11133'  liiiclerstand  this  to  refer  to  justification.  "  They 
tn^'i  ^'^'^^^  walk  in  white  ;  "  that  is,  they  shall  enjoy  a  con- 
*^^  stant  sense  of  their  own  justification  by  faith  ;  they 
shall  understand  that  the  righteousness  of  Christ  is  imputed 
to  them  ;  that  they  have  all  been  washed  and  made  whiter 
than  the  newly-fallen  snow. 

Again,  it  refers  to  joy  and  gladness ;  for  white  robes  were 
holiday  dresses  among  the  Jews.  They  who  have  not  defiled 
their  garments  shall  have  their  faces  always  bright ;  they 
shall  understand  what  Solomon  meant  when  He  said,  "  Go 
thy  way,  eat  thy  bread  with  joy,  and  drink  thy  wine  with  a 
merry  heart.  Let  thy  garments  be  always  white,  for  God 
hath  accepted  thy  works."  lie  who  is  accepted  of  God  shall 
wear  white  garments  of  joy  and  gladness,  while  he  walks  in 
sweet  communion  with  the  Lord  Jesus.  Whence  so  many 
doubts,  so  much  misery  and  mourning  ?  It  is  because  so 
many  believers  defile  their  garments  with  sin  and  error;  and 
hence  they  lose  the  joy  of  their  salvation,  and  the  comfort- 
able fellowship  of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  they  do  not  here  below 
walk  in  white. 

The  promise  also  refers  to  walking  in  white  be/ore  the  throne 
0/  God.  Those  who  have  not  defiled  their  garments  here, 
(fhall  most  certainly  walk  in  white  up  yonder,  where  the  white- 
robed  hosts  sing  perpetual  hallelujahs  to  the  Most  High. 
They  shall  possess  joys  inconceivable,  happiness  beyond  a 
dream,  bliss  which  imagination  knoweth  not,  blessedness 
which  even  the  ftretch  of  desire  hath  not  reached.  The 
"undefiled  in  the  way"  shall  have  all  this  —  not  of  merit, 
EW)r  of  works,  but  of  grace.  They  shall  walk  with  Christ  in 
white,  for  He  has  made  them  "  worthy."  In  His  bw(  et  com- 
punj  they  shall  drink  of  the  living  fountains  of  waters. 


^44  DAILY  READINGS.  l)ec.  ft, 

"  Therefore  toill  the  Lord  loait,  that  He  may  he  gracious  unto  you.* 
Isaiah  xxx.  18. 

^OD  often  delays  in  answering  prayer.  We  have 
^J  several  instances  of  this  in  sacred  Scripture.  Jacob 
did  not  get  the  blessing  from  the  angel  until  near  the 
dawn  of  day  —  he  had  to  wrestle  all  night  for  it.  The  poor 
woman  of  Syrophenicia  was  answered  not  a  word  for  a  long 
while.  Paul  besought  the  Lord  thrice  that  "  the  thorn  in  the 
flesh  "  might  be  taken  from  him,  and  he  received  no  assur- 
ance that  it  should  be  taken  away,  but  instead  thereof  a 
promise  that  God's  grace  should  be  sufficient  for  him.  If 
thou  hast  been  knocking  at  the  gate  of  mercy,  and  hast  re- 
ceived no  answer,  shall  I  tell  thee  why  the  mighty  Maker  hath 
not  opened  the  door  and  let  thee  in  ?  Our  Father  has  rea- 
sons peculiar  to  Himself  for  thus  keeping  us  waiting.  Some- 
times it  is  to  show  His  power,  and  His  sovereignty,  that  men 
may  know  that  Jehovah  has  a  right  to  give  or  to  withhold. 
More  frequently  the  delay  is  for  our  profit.  Thou  art  per- 
haps kept  waiting  in  order  that  thy  desires  may  be  more  fer- 
vent. God  knows  that  delay  will  quicken  and,  increase 
desire,  and  that  if  He  keeps  thee  waiting  thoa  wilt  see  thy 
necessity  more  clearly,  and  wilt  seek  more  earnestly ;  and 
that  thou  wilt  prize  the  mercy  all  the  more  for  its  long  tarry- 
ing. There  may  also  be  something  wrong  in  thee  which  has 
need  to  be  removed,  before  the  joy  of  the  Lord  is  given. 
Perhaps  thy  views  of  the  Gospel  plan  are  confused,  or  thou 
mayst  be  placing  some  little  reliance  on  thyself,  instead  of 
trusting  simply  and  entirely  to  the  Lord  Jesus.  Or,  God 
makes  thee  tarry  awhile  that  He  may  the  more  fully  display 
the  riches  of  His  grace  to  thee  at  last.  Thy  prayers  are  all 
filed  in  heaven,  and  if  not  immediately  answered,  they  are 
certainly  not  forgotten,  but  in  a  little  while  shall  be  fulfillod 
to  thy  delight  and  satisfaction.  Let  not  despair  make  the« 
eilent,  but  continue  instant  in  earnest  supplication. 


Dec.  10.  nAtLV  RtADiKcg.  fi45 

"  So  sluill  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord."  —  1  These,  iv.  17. 


?^'^"\T5N  the  sweetest  visits  from  Christ,  how  short  they 
>v3  arc  —  and  how  transitory  !  One  moment  our  eyes  see 
^^  Him,  and  we  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory,  but  again  a  little  time  and  we  do  not  see  Ilim,  for  our 
Beloved  withdraws  Himself  from  us ;  like  a  roc  or  a  young 
hart  he  leaps  over  the  mountains  of  division  ;  He  is  gone  to 
the  land  of  spices,  and  feeds  no  more  among  the  lilies. 

"  If  to-day  He  deigns  to  bless  us 
"With  a  sense  of  pardoned  sin, 
He  to-morrow  maj'  distress  us, 
Make  us  feel  the  plague  within." 

Oh,  how  sweet  the  prospect  of  the  time  when  we  shall  not 
behold  Him  at  a  distance,  but  see  Him  face  to  face !  when 
He  shall  not  be  as  a  wayfaring  man  tarrying  but  for  a  night, 
but  shall  eternally  enfold  us  in  the  bosom  of  His  glory !  We 
shall  not  see  Him  for  a  little  season,  but 

"Millions  of  years  our  wondering  eyes 
Shall  o'er  our  Saviour's  beauties  rove, 
And  myriad  ages  we'll  adore 
The  wonders  of  His  love." 

In  heaven  there  shall  be  no  interruptions  from  care  or  sin ; 
no  weeping  shall  dim  our  eyes  ;  no  earthly  business  shall 
distract  our  happy  thoughts  ;  wc  shall  have  nothing  to  hin- 
der us  from  gazing  forever  on  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  with 
unwearied  eyes.  Oh,  if  it  be  so  sweet  to  see  Him  now  and 
then,  how  sweet  to  gaze  on  that  blessed  face  for  aye,  and 
never  have  a  cloud  rolling  between,  and  never  have  to  turn 
one's  eyes  away  to  look  on  a  world  of  weariness  and  woe  ! 
Blest  day,  when  wilt  thou  dawn  ?  Rise,  0  unsetting  sun ! 
The  joys  of  sense  may  leave  us  as  soon  as  they  will,  for  this 
shall  make  glorious  amends.  If  to  die  is  but  to  enter  into 
uninterrupted  communion  with  Jesus,  then  death  is  indeed 
gain,  and  the  black  drop  is  swallowed  up  in  a  sea  <y  r.ctjfj. 


d46  Daily  readings.  l)ec.  11. 

"Faithful  is  lie  that  calleth  you,  toho  also  will  do  it.*' 
1  Thessalonians  v.  24. 

^^i^l^EAVEN  is  a  place  where  we  shall  never  sin ;  where 
k\  we  shall  cease  our  constant  watch  against  tn  inde- 
fatigable enemy,  because  there  will  be  no  tempter  Ut 
insnare  our  feet.  There  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling, 
and  the  weary  are  at  rest.  Heaven  is  the  "  undefiled  inher- 
itance : "  it  is  the  land  of  perfect  holiness,  and  therefore  of 
complete  security.  But  do  not  the  saints  even  on  earth 
sometimes  taste  the  joys  of  blissful  security?  The  doctrine 
of  God's  word  is,  that  all  who  are  in  union  with  the  Lamb 
are  safe  :  that  all  the  righteous  shall  hold  on  their  way  ;  that 
those  who  have  committed  their  souls  to  the  keeping  of  Christ 
shall  find  Him  a  faithful  and  immutable  preserver.  Sustained 
by  such  a  doctrine,  we  can  enjoy  security  even  on  earth ;  not 
that  high  and  glorious  security  which  renders  us  free  from 
every  slip,  but  that  holy  security  which  arises  from  the  sure 
promise  of  Jesus  that  none  who  believe  in  Him  shall  ever 
perish,  but  shall  be  with  Him  where  He  is.  Believer,  let  us 
often  reflect  with  joy  on  the  doctrine  of  the  perseverance  of 
the  saints,  and  honor  the  faithfulness  of  our  God  by  a  holy 
confidence  in  Him. 

May  our  God  bring  home  to  you  a  sense  of  your  safety  in 
Christ  Jesus.  May  He  assure  you  that  your  name  is  graven 
on  His  hand,  and  whisper  in  your  ear  the  promise,  "  Fear 
not,  I  am  with  thee."  Look  upon  Him,  the  great  Surety  of 
the  covenant,  as  faithful  and  true,  and,  therefore,  bound  and 
engaged  to  present  you,  the  weakest  of  the  family,  with  all 
the  chosen  race,  before  the  throne  of  God ;  and  in  such  a 
sweet  contemplation  you  will  drink  the  juice  of  the  spiced 
wine  of  the  Lord's  pomegranate,  and  taste  the  dainty  fruits 
of  Paradise.  You  will  have  an  antepast  of  the  enjoyments 
which  ravish  the  souls  of  the  perfect  saints  above,  if  you  can 
brieve  with  unstaggering  faith  that  "  faithful  is  He  thai 
calleth  you,  who  also  will  do  it." 


Deo.   12,  DAILY    READINGS.  347 

"  llis  ways  are  everlasting."  —  Hubakkuk  iii.  5. 

I\^^IIAT  IIo  hath  done  at  one  time,  lie  will  do  yet  again, 
Man's  ways  are  variable,  but  God's  ways  are  ever- 
lasting. There  are  many  reasons  for  this  most  com- 
'orting  truth  :  among  them  are  the  following  —  the  Lord's 
vays  are  the  result  of  wise  deliberation  ;  He  ordereth  all  things 
according  to  the  counsel  of  His  own  will.  Human  action  is 
frequently  the  hasty  result  of  passion  or  fear,  and  is  followed 
by  regret  and  alteration  ;  but  nothing  can  take  the  Almighty 
by  surprise,  or  happen  otherwise  than  He  has  foreseen.  His 
ways  are  the  outgroivth  of  an  immutable  character.,  and  in  them 
the  fixed  and  settled  attributes  of  God  are  clearly  to  be  seen. 
Unless  the  Eternal  One  Himself  can  undergo  change,  His 
ways,  which  are  Himself  in  action,  must  remain  forever  the 
same.  Is  He  eternally  just,  gracious,  faithful,  wise,  tender  ? 
—  then  His  ways  must  ever  be  distinguished  for  the  same  ex- 
cellences. Beings  act  according  to  their  nature  :  when  those 
natures  change,  their  conduct  varies  also  ;  but  since  God  can- 
not know  the  shadow  of  a  turning.  His  ways  will  abide  ever- 
lastingly the  same.  Moreover  there  is  no  reason  from  without 
which  could  reverse  the  divine  ways,  since  they  are  the  em- 
bodiment  of  irresistible  might.  The  earth  is  said,  by  the 
prophet,  to  be  cleft  with  rivers,  mountains  tremble,  the  deep 
lifts  up  its  hands,  and  sun  and  moon  stand  still,  when  Jehovah 
marches  forth  for  the  salvation  of  His  people.  Who  can 
stay  His  hand,  or  say  unto  Him,  AVhat  doest  Thou  ?  But  it 
is  not  might  alone  which  gives  stability ;  God's  way  are  the 
manifestations  of  the  eternal  principlto  of  right,  and  therefore 
can  never  pass  away.  Wrong  breeds  decay  and  involves 
ruin,  but  the  true  and  the  good  have  about  them  a  vitality 
which  ages  cannot  diminish. 

This  morning  let  us  go  to  our  heavenly  Father  with  coufi- 
ience,  remembering  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  same  yesterday, 
to-day,  and  forever,  and  in  Him  the  Lord  is  ever  gracious  to 
Sis  people. 


S48  bAitr  iiEAl)iNGSi  Dec.  13 


"  Salt,  without  prescribing  how  much."  —  Ezra  vii.  22. 

^^^^^ALT  was  used  in  every  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the 
gi^^J/  Lord,  and  from  its  preserving  and  purifying  proper- 
^^^"^  ties  it  was  the  grateful  emblem  of  divine  grace  in  the 
soul.  It  is  worthy  of  our  attentive  regard  that,  when  Artax- 
erxes  gave  salt  to  Ezra  the  priest,  he  set  no  limit  to  the 
quantity ;  and  we  may  be  quite  certain  that  when  the  King  of 
kings  distributes  grace  among  His  royal  priesthood,  the  sup- 
ply is  not  cut  short  by  Him.  Often  are  we  straitened  in  our- 
selves, but  never  in  the  Lord.  He  who  chooses  to  gather 
much  manna  will  find  that  he  may  have  as  much  as  he  desires. 
There  is  no  such  famine  in  Jerusalem  that  the  citizens  should 
eat  their  bread  by  weight  and  drink  their  water  by  measure. 
Some  things  in  the  economy  of  grace  are  measured ;  for  in- 
stance, our  vinegar  and  gall  are  given  us  with  such  exactness 
that  we  never  have  a  single  drop  too  much,  but  of  the  salt  of 
grace  no  stint  is  made  :  "  Ask  what  thou  wilt,  and  it  shall  be 
given  unto  thee."  Parents  need  to  lock  up  the  fruit  cup- 
board, and  the  swjjet  jars,  but  there  is  no  need  to  keep  the 
salt-box  under  lock  and  key,  for  few  children  will  eat  too 
greedily  from  that.  A  man  may  have  too  much  money,  or 
too  much  honor,  but  he  cannot  have  too  much  grace.  When 
Jeshurun  waxed  fat  in  the  flesh,  he  kicked  against  Gcd ;  but 
there  is  no  fear  of  a  man's  becoming  too  full  of  grace ;  a  plethora 
of  grace  is  impossible.  More  wealth  brings  more  care,  but 
more  grace  brings  more  joy.  Increased  wisdom  is  increased 
sorrow,  but  abundance  of  the  Spirit  is  fulness  of  joy.  Be- 
liever, go  to  the  throne  for  a  large  supply  of  heavenly  salt. 
It  will  season  thine  afilictions,  which  are  unsavory  without 
Bait ;  it  will  preserve  thy  heart,  which  corrupts  if  salt  be 
absent ;  and  it  will  kill  thy  sins  even  as  salt  kills  reptiles 
Thou  needest  much ;  seek  much,  and  have  much. 


Dec.    14.  P.VILY    KFADIN08.  849 


"  They  go  from  strength  to  strength."  —  Psalm  Ixxxiv.  7. 


1' 


^IIEY  go  from  strength  to  strength.  There  are  various 
renderings  of  these  words,  but  all  of  them  contain 
the  idea  of  progress. 
Our  own  good  translation  of  the  authorized  version  itt 
enough  for  us  this  morning.  "  They  go  from  strength  30 
strength."  That  is,  they  grow  stronger  and  stronger.  Usu- 
ally, if  we  are  walking,  we  go  from  strength  to  weakness  ; 
we  start  fresh  and  in  good  order  for  our  journey  ;  but  by  and 
by  the  road  is  rough,  and  the  sun  is  hot;  we  sit  down  by  the 
wayside,  and  then  again  painfully  pursue  our  weary  way. 
But  the  Christian  pilgrim,  having  obtained  fresh  supplies  of 
grace,  is  as  vigorous  after  years  of  toilsome  travel  and  strug- 
gle as  when  he  first  set  out.  He  may  not  be  quite  so  elate 
and  buoyant,  nor  perhaps  quite  so  hot  and  hasty  in  his  zeal, 
as  he  once  was ;  but  he  is  much  stronger,  in  all  that  consti- 
tutes real  power,  and  travels,  if  more  slowly,  far  more  surely. 
Some  gray-haired  veterans  have  been  as  firm  in  their  grasp 
of  truth,  and  as  zealous  in  difi"using  it,  as  they  were  in  their 
younger  days ;  but,  alas,  it  must  be  confessed  it  is  often 
otherwise,  for  the  love  of  many  waxes  cold,  and  iniquity 
abounds  ;  but  this  is  their  own  sin,  and  not  the  fault  of  the 
promise,  which  still  holds  good  :  "  The  youths  shall  faint  and 
be  weary,  and  the  young  men  shall  utterly  fall ;  but  they  that 
wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength ;  they  shall 
mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles,  they  shall  run  and  not  be 
weary,  and  they  shall  walk  and  not  faint."  Fretful  spirits  sit 
Jown  and  trouble  themselves  about  the  future.  "  Alas,"  say 
they,  "  we  go  from  affliction  to  affliction."  Very  true,  0 
thou  of  little  faith,  but  then  thou  goest  from  strength  to 
Btrcngth  also.  Thou  shalt  never  find  a  bundle  of  affliction 
which  has  not  bound  up  in  the  midst  of  it  sufficient  grace. 
God  will  give  the  strength  of  ripe  manhood  with  the  burdeo 
aUotted  to  full-grown  shoulders. 
SO 


850  DAILY    HEADINGS.  DcC.    1& 


"  Orpah  iv.iA«  d  Tier  mother-in-law ;  but  Bicth  clave  unto  her." 
Ruth  i.  14. 


^fcjC^OTH  rt  them  had  an  affection  for  Naomi,  and  there* 
%1  ^l  fore  S'lt  out  with  her  upon  hor  return  to  the  land  of 
^j3^ow  Jndah.  But  the  hour  of  *^est  came  ;  Naomi  most 
inselfishly  set  before  each  of  their  the  trials  which  awaited 
hem,  and  bade  them,  if  they  car'd  for  ease  and  comfort,  to 
return  to  their  Moabitish  friends  At  first  both  of  them  de- 
clared that  they  would  cast  in  tbflr  lot  with  the  Lord's  people  ; 
but,  upon  still  further  consi(/*Tation,  Orpah,  with  much  grief 
and  a  respectful  kiss,  left  ber  mother-in-law,  and  her  people, 
and  her  Grod,  and  went  bjct  to  her  idolatrous  friends,  while 
Ruth,  with  all  her  heart  gave  herself  up  to  the  God  of  her 
mother-in-law.  It  is  o/>e  thing  to  love  the  ways  of  the  Lord 
when  all  is  fair,  and  v'lite  another  to  cleave  to  them  under  all 
discouragements  an.',  difficulties.  The  kiss  of  outward  pro- 
fession is  very  che'tp  and  easy,  but  the  practical  cleaving  to 
the  Lord  which  'rust  show  itself  in  holy  decision  for  truth 
and  holiness,  i?  not  so  small  a  matter.  How  stands  the  case 
with  us  ?  is  our  heart  fixed  upon  Jesus  ?  is  the  sacrifice  bound 
with  cords  to  the  horns  of  the  altar  ?  Have  we  counted  the 
cost,  and  are  we  solemnly  ready  to  suffer  all  worldly  loss  for 
the  Master's  sake  ?  The  after  gain  will  be  an  abundant  rec- 
ompense, for  Egypt's  treasures  are  not  to  be  compared  with 
the  glory  to  be  revealed.  Orpah  is  heard  of  no  more  ;  ir 
glorious  ea^^e  and  idolatrous  pleasure,  her  life  melts  into  the 
gloom  of  death  ;  but  Ruth  lives  in  history  and  in  heaven,  for 
grace  has  placed  her  in  the  noble  line  whence  sprung  the 
King  of  kings.  Blessed  among  women  shall  those  be  who  for 
Christ's  sak-e  can  renounce  all ;  but  forgotten,  and  worse  than 
forgotten,  >')iall  those  be,  who,  in  the  hour  of  temptation,  do 
violence  to  conscience,  and  turn  back  unto  the  world.  0  tha. 
this  morni'g  wc  may  not  be  content  with  the  form  of  devotion, 
which  ma^'  be  no  better  than  Orpah's  kiss!  but  may  the  Holy 
Spirit  wor  11  in  us  a  clea^^iug  of  our  whole  heart  to  our  Lord  Jesus. 


Dec.   16.  DAIXY    READINGS  851 

"  Come  unto  Me."  — Matthew  xi.  28. 

•^^HE  cry  of  the  Christian  religion  is  the  gentle  word, 
"  Come."  The  Jewish  law  harshly  said,  "  Go,  take 
heed  unto  thy  steps  as  to  the  path  in  which  thou  shalt 
walk.  Break  the  commandments,  and  thou  shalt  perish; 
keep  them,  and  thou  shalt  live."  The  law  was  a  dispensa- 
tion of  terror,  which  drove  men  before  it  as  with  a  scourge  ; 
the  gospel  draws  with  bands  of  love.  Jesus  is  the  good 
Shepherd  going  before  His  sheep,  bidding  them  follow  Ilim, 
and  ever  leading  them  onwards  with  the  sweet  word,  "  Come.'' 
The  law  repels  ;  the  gospel  attracts.  The  law  shows  the  dis- 
tance which  there  is  between  God  and  man ;  the  gospel 
bridges  that  awful  chasm,  and  brings  the  sinner  across  it. 

From  the  first  moment  of  your  spiritual  life  until  you  are 
ushered  into  glory,  the  language  of  Christ  to  you  will  be, 
"  Come,  come  unto  Me."  As  a  mother  puts  out  her  finger  to  her 
little  child,  and  wooes  it  to  walk  by  saying,  "  Come,"  even  so 
does  Jesus.  He  will  always  be  ahead  of  you,  bidding  you 
follow  Him  as  the  soldier  follows  his  captain.  He  will  always 
go  before  you  to  pave  your  way,  and  clear  your  path,  and 
you  shall  hear  His  animating  voice  calling  you  after  Him  all 
through  life ;  while  in  the  solemn  hour  of  death,  His  sweet 
words  with  which  He  shall  usher  you  into  the  heavenly  world 
shall  be  —  "  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father." 

Nay,  further,  this  is  not  only  Christ's  cry  to  you,  but,  if  you 
be  a  believer,  this  is  your  cry  to  Christ —  "  Come  !  come  ! " 
You  will  be  longing  for  His  second  advent ;  you  will  be  say- 
ing, "  Come  quickly;  even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus."  You  will 
be  panting  for  nearer  and  closer  communion  with  Him.  As 
His  voice  to  you  is,  "  Come,"  your  response  to  Him  will  be, 
"  Ccmc,  Lord,  and  abide  with  me.  Come,  and  occupy  alone 
the  throne  of  my  heart ;  reign  there  without  a  rival,  and 
consecrate  me  entirely  to  Thy  service." 


352  DAILY    HEADINGS.  DcC.   l7. 

"  /  remember  thee."  —  Jeremiah  ii.  2. 


CO 


^'^KET  us  note  that  Christ  delights  to  think  upon  His 
(^/  -^1  Church,  and  to  look  upon  her  beauty.  As  the  bird 
.Af^r^  returneth  often  to  its  nest,  and  as  the  wayfarer  has- 
tens to  his  home,  so  doth  the  mind  continually  pursue  the 
object  of  its  choice.  We  cannot  look  too  often  upon  that 
fac  3  which  we  love ;  we  desire  always  to  have  our  precious 
things  in  our  sight.  It  is  even  so  with  our  Lord  Jesus. 
From  all  eternity,  "  His  delights  were  with  the  sons  of 
men;"  His  thoughts  rolled  onward  to  the  time  when  His 
elect  should  be  born  into  the  world ;  He  viewed  them  in  the 
mirror  of  His  foreknowledge.  "  In  Thy  book,"  he  says, 
"  all  my  members  were  written,  which  in  continuance  were 
fashioned,  when  as  yet  there  was  none  of  them."  (Ps.  cxxxix. 
16.)  When  the  world  was  set  upon  its  pillars.  He  was  there, 
and  He  set  the  bounds  of  the  people  according  to  the  num- 
ber of  the  children  of  Israel.  Many  a  time  before  His  incar- 
nation, He  descended  to  this  lower  earth  in  the  similitude 
of  a  man  ;  on  the  plains  of  Mamre  (Gen.  xviii.),  by  the  brook 
of  Jabbok  (Gen.  xxxii.  24-30),  beneath  the  walls  of  Jericho 
(Josh.  V.  13),  and  in  the  fiery  furnace  of  Babylon  (Dan.  iii. 
19-25),  the  Son  of  man  visited  His  people.  Because  His 
soul  delighted  in  them.  He  could  not  rest  away  from  them, 
for  His  heart  longed  after  them.  Never  were  they  absent 
from  His  heart,  for  He  had  written  their  names  upon  His 
hands,  and  graven  them  upon  His  side.  As  the  breastplate 
containing  the  names  of  the  tribes  of  Israel  was  the  most 
brilliant  ornament  worn  by  the  high  priest,  so  the  names 
of  Christ's  elect  were  His  most  precious  jewels,  and  glittered 
on  His  heart.  We  may  often  forget  to  meditate  upon  the 
perfections  of  our  Lord,  but  He  never  ceases  to  remember 
us.  Let  us  chide  ourselves  for  past  forgetfulness,  and  pray 
for  grace  ever  to  bear  Him  in  fondest  remembrance.  Lord, 
paint  upon  the  eyeballs  of  my  soul  the  image  of  Thy  Sou. 


Dec.   18.  DAILY    BEADING8.  353 

"Rend  your  heart,  and  not  your  garments." — Joel  ii.  13. 

^^ARMENT-RENDING,  and  other  outward  signs  of 
1)  religious  emotion,  are  casih  manifesttd,  and  are  f<-e- 
'^^  quenthj  hypocritical :  but  to  feel  true  repentance  w 
far  more  diflBcuit,  and  consequently  far  less  common.  Men 
will  attend  to  the  most  multiplied  and  minute  ceremonial 
regulations,  —  for  such  things  are  plcusing  to  thejlcsh,  —  but 
true  religion  is  too  humbling,  too  heart-searching,  too 
thorough  for  the  tastes  of  carnal  men  ;  they  prefer  something 
more  ostentatious,  flimsy,  and  worldly.  Outward  observances 
are  temporarily  comfortable ;  eye  and  ear  are  pleased ;  self- 
conceit  is  fed,  and  self-righteousness  is  puffed  up  :  but  they 
are  ultimately  delusive,  for  in  the  article  of  death,  and  at  the 
day  of  judgment,  the  soul  needs  something  more  substantial 
than  ceremonies  and  rituals  to  lean  upon.  Apart  from  vital 
godliness,  all  religion  is  utterly  vain  ;  offered  without  a  sin- 
cere heart,  every  form  of  worship  is  a  solemn  sham  and  au 
impudent  mockery  of  the  majesty  of  heaven.  —  Heart-eend- 
ING  is  divinely  wrought  and  solemnly  felt.  It  is  a  secret 
grief  which  is  personally  experienced,  not  in  mere  form,  but 
as  a  deep,  soul-moving  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  in- 
most heart  of  each  believer.  It  is  not  a  matter  to  be  merely 
talked  of  and  believed  in,  but  keenly  and  sensitively  felt  Id 
every  living  child  of  the  living  God.  It  is  powerfully  hu- 
miliating, and  completely  sin-purging ;  but  then  it  is  sweetly 
preparative  for  those  gracious  consolations  which  proud, 
unhumbled  spirits  are  unable  to  receive ;  and  it  is  distinctly 
diicriminating,  for  it  belongs  to  the  elect  of  God,  and  to 
ihcm  alone.  The  text  commands  us  to  rend  our  hearts,  but 
they  are  naturally  hard  as  marble  :  how,  then,  can  this  be 
done  ?  We  must  take  them  to  Calvary :  a  dying  Saviour's 
foice  rent  the  rocks  once,  and  it  is  as  powerful  now.  0 
blessed  Spirit,  let  us  hear  the  death-cries  of  Jesus,  and  our 
hearts  shall  be  rent  evea  as  men  rend  their  vestures  in  the 
day  of  lamentation. 


i54  PAILY    READINGS.  DcC.    19. 

"  The  lot  is  cast  into  the  lap,  hut  the  whole  disposing  thereof  is  of 
the  Lord."  —  Proverbs  xvi.  33. 

^^^f/I'  the  disposal  of  the  lot  is  the  Lord's,  whose  is  thf 
P^l  '^y!  arrangement  of  our  whole  life  ?  If  the  simple  cast- 
y/^tSw  jj^g  Qf  j^  Jq(.  jg  guided  by  Him,  how  much  more  the 
events  of  our  entire  life  —  especially  when  we  are  told  by 
our  blessed  Saviour,  "  The  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all 
numbered  :  not  a  sparrow  falleth  to  the  ground  without  your 
Father."  It  would  bring  a  holy  calm  over  your  mind,  dear 
friend,  if  you  were  always  to  remember  this.  It  would  so 
relieve  your  mind  from  anxiety,  that  you  would  be  the  better 
able  to  walk  in  patience,  quiet,  and  cheerfulness,  as  a  Chris- 
tian should.  When  a  man  is  anxious,  he  cannot  pray  with 
faith ;  when  he  is  troubled  about  the  world,  he  cannot  serve 
his  Master;  his  thoughts  are  serving  himself.  If  you  would 
"  seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  righteousness,"  all 
things  would  then  be  added  unto  you.  You  are  meddling 
with  Christ's  business,  and  neglecting  your  own,  when  you 
fret  about  your  lot  and  circumstances.  You  have  been  try- 
ing "providing"  work,  and  forgetting  that  it  is  yours  to 
»bey.  Be  wise,  and  attend  to  the  obeying,  and  let  Christ 
manage  the  providing.  Come  and  survey  your  Father's 
storehouse,  and  ask  whether  He  will  let  you  starve  while  He 
has  laid  up  so  great  an  abundance  in  His  garner.  Look  at 
His  heart  of  mercy ;  see  if  that  can  ever  prove  unkind  ! 
fjook  at  His  inscrutable  wisdom ;  see  if  that  will  ever  be  at 
fault.  Above  all,  look  up  to  Jesus  Christ,  your  Intercessor, 
and  ask  yourself,  while  He  pleads,  can  your  Father  deal  un- 
graciously with  you  ?  If  He  remembers  even  sparrows,  will 
He  forget  one  of  the  least  of  His  poor  children  ?  "  Cast 
jhy  burden  upon  the  Lord,  and  He  will  sustain  thee.  He 
will  never  suflFer  the  righteous  to  be  moved." 

*'  My  soul,  rest  happy  in  thy  low  estate, 
Nor  hope  nor  wish  to  be  esteemed  or  great; 
To  take  the  impress  of  the  Will  Divine, 
Be  that  thy  glory,  and  tbos«  ricbes  tUw«< 


Dec.   20  DAILY    READINGS.  85# 

•'  Yea,  I  have  loved  thee  with  an  everlasting  love."  —  Jer.  xxxi.  3. 


rA^-'^ 


^^.iOMETLMES  the  Lord  Jesus  tells  His  Church  His 
)ve  thoughts.  "  He  does  not  think  it  enough  be- 
hind her  back  to  tell  it,  but,  in  her  very  preiicnce, 
He  says,  *  Thou  art  all  fair,  my  love.'  It  is  true,  this  is  not 
His  ordinary  method ;  He  is  «  wise  lover,  and  knows  when 
to  keep  back  the  intimation  of  love,  and  when  to  let  it  out ; 
but  there  are  times  when  He  will  make  no  secret  of  it;  times 
when  he  will  put  it  beyond  all  dispute  in  the  souls  of  his  peo- 
ple."' *  The  Holy  Spirit  is  often  pleased,  in  a  most  gracious 
Hianner,  to  witness  with  our  spirits  of  the  love  of  Jesus. 
He  takes  of  the  things  of  Christ,  and  reveals  them  unto  us. 
No  voice  is  heard  from  the  clouds,  and  no  vision  is  seen  in 
the  night,  but  we  have  a  testimony  more  sure  than  either  of 
these.  If  an  angel  should  fly  from  heaven,  and  inform  the 
saint  personally  of  the  Saviour's  love  to  him,  the  evidence 
would  not  be  one  whit  more  satisfactory  than  that  which  is 
borne  in  the  heart  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Ask  those  of  the 
Lord's  people  who  have  lived  the  nearest  to  the  gates  of 
heaven,  and  they  will  tell  you  that  they  have  had  season;; 
when  the  love  of  Christ  towards  them  has  been  a  fact  so 
clear  and  sure,  that  they  could  no  more  doubt  it  than  they 
could  question  their  own  existence.  Yes,  beloved  believer, 
you  and  I  have  had  times  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord,  and  then  our  faith  has  mounted  to  the  topmost 
heights  of  assurance.  We  have  had  confidence  to  loan  our 
heads  upon  the  bosom  of  our  Lord,  and  we  have  no  more 
questioned  our  Master's  affection  to  us  than  John  did  when 
>  in  iliat  blessed  posture :  nay,  nor  so  much ;  for  the  dark 
question,  "Lord,  is  it  I  that  shall  betray  thee  ?"  has  been 
put  far  from  us.  He  has  ki.'^sed  us  with  the  kisses  of  His 
tuouth,  and  killed  our  doubts  by  the  closeness  of  His  em. 
brace.     His  love  has  been  sweeter  than  wine  to  our  souis. 

*  Ri  £r&lMn«'s  Sermooa. 


556  DAILY    READINGS.  DeC    21. 

"  Tet  lie  hath  made  with  me  an  everlasting  coveJiant" 
2  Samuel  xxiii.  5. 

^*j*gHIS  covenant  is  divine  in  its  origin.  "  He  hath  iuad« 
4;I,W|0  with  me  an  everhisting  covenai.t."  Oh,  that  great 
tOiiawvSi  ^Qj.(j  jjj.  I  Stop,  my  soul.  God,  the  everlasting  Fa- 
ther, has  positively  made  a  covenant  with  thee ;  yes,  that  God 
kIio  spake  the  world  into  existence  by  a  word  ;  He,  stooping 
from  His  majesty,  takes  hold  of  thy  hand  and  makes  a  cove- 
nant with  thee.  Is  it  not  a  deed,  the  stupendous  condescen- 
sion cf  which  might  ravish  our  hearts  forever  if  we  could  really 
understand  it  ?  "  HE  hath  made  with  me  a  covenant."  A 
king  has  not  made  a  covenant  with  me  —  that  were  some- 
what ;  but  the  Prince  of  the  kings  of  the  earth,  Shaddai,  the 
Lord  All-sufficient,  the  Jehovah  of  ages,  the  everlasting 
Elohim,  "  He  hath  made  with  me  an  everlasting  covenant." 
But  notice,  it  is  particular  in  its  application.  "  Yet  hath 
He  made  with  me  an  everlasting  covenant."  Here  lies  the 
sweetness  of  it  to  each  believer.  It  is  nought  for  me  that 
He  made  peace  for  the  world  ;  I  want  to  know  whether  He 
made  peace  for  me  !  It  is  little  that  He  hath  made  a  cove- 
nant ;  I  want  to  know  whether  He  has  made  a  covenant  toith 
me.  Blessed  is  the  assurance  that  He  hath  made  a  covenant 
with  me  !  If  God  the  Holy  Ghost  gives  me  assurance  of 
this,  then  His  salvation  is  mine,  His  heart  is  mine.  He  hira- 
Bclf  is  mine  —  He  is  my  God. 

This  covenant  is  everlasting  in  its  daration.  An  everlast- 
ing covenant  means  a  covenant  which  had  no  beginning,  and 
which  shall  never,  never  end.  How  sweet,  amidst  all  the 
uncertainties  of  life,  to  know  that  "  the  foundation  of  the 
Lord  standeth  sure,"  and  to  have  God's  own  promise,  "  My 
covenant  will  I  not  break,  nor  alter  the  thing  that  is  gone 
out  of  my  lips."  Like  dying  David,  I  will  sing  of  this,  even 
though  my  house  be  uot  so  with  God  as  my  heart  desireth. 


Dec.  22.  DAILY    READINGS.  357 


"  I  tcill  strengtlun  thee."" —  Isaian  xli.  10. 


jOD  has  a  strong  reserve  with  which  to  discharge  this 
engaffcment,  for  He  is  able  to  do  all  things '  Be- 
liever,  till  thou  canst  drain  dry  the  ocean  of  omnipo- 
tence, till  thou  canst  break  into  pieces  the  towering  moun- 
tains of  almighty  strength,  thou  never  needest  to  fear. 
Think  not  that  the  strength  of  man  shall  ever  be  able  to 
overcome  the  power  of  God.  Whilst  the  earth's  huge  pil- 
lars stand,  thou  hast  enough  reason  to  abide  firm  in  thy  faith. 
The  same  God  who  directs  the  earth  in  its  orbit,  who  feeds 
the  burning  furnace  of  the  sun,  and  trims  the  lamps  of  heaven, 
has  promised  to  supply  thee  with  daily  strcngtli.  While  He 
is  able  to  uphold  the  universe,  dream  not  that  He  wiM  prove 
unable  to  fulfil  His  own  promises.  Eemember  what  He  did 
in  the  days  of  old,  in  the  former  generations.  Remember 
how  He  spake  and  it  was  done ;  how  He  commanded,  and  it 
stood  fast.  Shall  He  that  created  the  world  grow  weary  ? 
He  hangeth  the  world  upon  nothing  ;  shall  He  who  doth  this 
be  unable  to  support  His  children  ?  Shall  He  be  unfaithful 
10  His  word  for  want  of  power  ?  Who  is  it  that  restrains 
the  tempest  ?  Doth  not  He  ride  upon  the  wings  of  the 
wind,  and  make  the  clouds  His  chariots,  and  hold  the  ocean 
in  the  hollow  of  His  hand  ?  How  can  He  fail  thee  ?  When 
He  has  put  such  a  faithful  promise  as  this  on  record,  wilt 
thou  for  a  moment  indulge  the  thought  that  He  has  out- 
promised  himself,  and  gone  beyond  His  power  to  fulfil  ? 
Ah  !  no  !     Thou  canst  doubt  no  longer. 

0  Thou  who  art  my  God  and  my  strength,  I  can  believe 
that  this  promise  shall  be  fulfilled,  for  the  boundless  reser- 
voir of  Thy  grace  can  never  be  exhausted,  and  the  overflow- 
ing storehouse  of  T'liy  strength  can  never  be  emptied  by  Thj 
friends  or  rifled  by  Thine  enemies. 

"  Now  let  tlie  feeble  all  be  strong, 
And  make  Jehovah's  arm  their  song." 


S58  DAILY   READINGS.  DcC.  23. 

*^  Friend,  go  up  higher."  —  Luke  xi\.  10. 


*^^5^^HEN  first  the  life  of  grace  begins  in  the  soul,  we  do 
indeed  draw  near  to  God,  but  it  is  with  great  fear 
an  1  trembling.  The  soul,  conscious  of  guilt,  and 
humbled  thereby,  is  overawed  with  the  solemnity  of  its  posi- 
tion ;  it  is  cast  to  the  earth  by  a  sense  of  the  grandeur  of 
Jehovah,  in  whose  presence  it  stands.  With  unfeigned  bash- 
fulness  it  takes  the  lowest  room. 

But,  in  after  life,  as  the  Christian  grows  in  grace,  although 
he  will  never  forget  the  solemnity  of  his  position,  and  will 
never  lose  that  holy  awe  which  must  encompass  a  gracious 
man  when  he  is  in  the  presence  of  the  God  who  can  create 
or  can  destroy,  yet  his  fear  has  all  its  terror  taken  out  of 
it ;  it  becomes  a  holy  reverence,  and  no  more  an  over- 
shadowing dread.  He  is  called  up  higher,  to  greater  ac- 
cess to  God  in  Christ  Jesus.  Then  the  man  of  God,  walking 
amid  the  splendors  of  Deity,  and  veiling  his  face,  like  the 
glorious  cherubim,  with  those  twin  wings,  the  blood  and 
righteousness  of  Jesus  Christ,  will,  reverent  and  bowed  in 
spirit,  approach  the  throne  ;  and  seeing  there  a  God  of  love, 
of  goodness,  and  of  mercy,  he  will  realize  rather  the  cove- 
nant character  of  God  than  His  absolute  Deity.  He  will  see 
in  God  rather  His  goodness  than  His  greatness,  and  more 
of  His  love  than  of  His  majesty.  Then  will  the  soul,  bowing 
Btill  as  humbly  as  aforetime,  enjoy  a  more  sacred  liberty  of 
intercession  ;  for,  while  prostrate  before  the  glory  of  the  In- 
finite God,  it  will  be  sustained  by  the  refreshing  conscious- 
ness of  being  in  the  presence  of  boundless  mercy  and  infinite 
love,  and  by  the  realization  of  acceptance  "  in  the  Beloved." 
Thus  the  believer  is  bidden  to  come  up  higher,  and  is  en- 
abled to  exercise  the  privilege  of  rejoicing  in  God,  and  draw* 
ing  near  to  Him  in  holy  confidence,  saying,  "Abba,  Father." 

"  So  may  we  go  from  strength  to  strength, 
And  daily  grow  in  grace, 
Till,  in  Thine  image  raised  at  length| 
We  see  Tbce  face  to  face." 


Dec.  24.  DAILY    HEADINGS.  359 

"  For  your  sokes  lie  became  poor."  —  2  Corinthians  viii.  9. 

SHE  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  eternally  rich,  glorious, 
and  exalted  ;  but  "  though  He  was  rich,  yet  for  youf 
sakes  He  became  poor."  As  the  rich  saint  cannot 
be  true  in  his  communion  with  his  poor  brethren,  unless  of  hia 
substance  he  ministers  to  their  necessities,  so  (the  same  rule 
holding  with  the  head  as  between  the  members)  it  is  impos- 
sible that  our  Divine  Lord  could  have  had  fellowship  with  us 
unless  He  had  imparted  to  us  of  His  own  abounding  wealth, 
and  had  become  poor  to  make  us  rich.  Had  He  remained 
upon  His  throne  of  glory,  and  had  we  continued  in  the  ruins 
of  the  fall  without  receiving  His  salvation,  communion  would 
have  been  impossible  on  both  sides.  Our  position  by  tin 
fall,  apart  from  the  covenant  of  grace,  made  it  as  impossible 
for  fallen  man  to  communicate  with  God  as  it  is  for  Belial  to 
be  in  concord  with  Christ.  In  order,  therefore,  that  com 
munion  might  be  compassed,  it  was  necessary  that  the  rich 
Kinsman  should  bestow  his  estate  upon  his  poor  relatives ; 
that  the  righteous  Saviour  should  give  to  His  sinning  breth- 
ren of  His  own  perfection,  and  that  we,  the  poor  and  guilty, 
should  receive  of  His  fulness  grace  for  grace ;  that  thus  in 
giving  and  receiving,  the  one  might  descend  from  the  heights, 
and  the  others  ascend  from  the  depths,  and  so  be  able  to  em- 
brace each  other  in  true  and  hearty  fellowship.  Poverty  must 
be  enriched  by  Him  in  whom  are  infinite  treasures  before  it 
ca£  venture  to  commune ;  and  guilt  must  lose  itself  in  im- 
puted and  imparted  righteousness  ere  the  soul  can  walk  in 
fellowship  with  purity.  Jefeus  must  clothe  His  people  in  His 
own  garments,  or  He  cannot  admit  them  into  His  palace  of 
glory;  and  He  must  wash  them  in  His  own  blood,  or  else 
ihey  will  be  too  defiled  for  the  embrace  of  His  fello*^dhip. 

0  believer,  herein  is  love  !  For  your  sake  the  L,rd  Jesus 
"  ijecame  poor,"  that  He  might  lift  you  up  iuto  ct  mmuni^o 
with  Himself. 


360  DAILY   HEADINGS.  l)ec.  ^5 

"  Behold,  a  virgin  shall  conceive,  and  bear  a  son,  and  shall  call  hit 
name  Immanuel."  —  Isaiah  vii.  14. 

^^|£^ET  us  to-day  go  down  to  Bethlehem,  and,  in  com- 
^]  pany  with  wondering  shepherds  and  adoring  Magi, 
let  us  see  Him  who  was  born  King  of  the  Jews,  for 
we  by  faith  can  claim  an  interest  in  Him,  and  can  sing, 
"  Unto  us  a  child  is  born ;  unto  us  a  son  is  given."  Jesus  is 
Jehovah  incarnate,  our  Lord  and  our  God,  and  yet  our 
brother  and  friend ;  let  us  adore  and  admire.  Let  us  notice 
at  the  very  first  glance  His  miraculous  conception.  It  was  a 
thing  unheard  of  before',  and  unparalleled  since,  that  a  virgin 
should  conceive  and  bear  a  son.  "  The  Lord  hath  created 
a  new  thing  in  the  earth ;  a  woman  shall  compass  a  man." 
The  first  promise  ran  thus  :  "The  seed  of  the  woman"  not  the 
oflfspriug  of  the  man.  Since  venturous  woman  led  the  way 
in  the  sin  which  brought  forth  Paradise  lost,  she,  and  she 
alone,  ushers  in  the  Regainer  of  Paradise.  Our  Saviour, 
although  truly  man,  was,  as  to  His  human  nature,  the  Holy 
One  of  God.  By  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  He  was  born 
of  the  virgin  without  the  taint  of  original  sin  which  appertains 
to  all  those  who  are  born  of  the  flesh.  Let  us  reverently  bow 
before  the  Holy  Child  whose  innocence  restores  to  manhood 
its  ancient  glory ;  and  let  us  pray  that  He  may  be  formed  in 
us,  the  hope  of  glory.  Fail  not  to  note  His  humble  parentage 
His  mother  our  morning's  portion  describes  simply  as  "  a 
virgin,"  not  a  princess  or  prophetess,  nor  a  matron  of  large 
estate.  True,  her  lineage  was  not  to  be  despised,  for  the  blood 
of  kings  ran  in  her  veins  ;  nor  w^s  her  mind  a  weak  and  un- 
taught one,  for  she  could  sing  most  sweetly  a  song  of  praise; 
but  yet  how  humble  her  position,  how  poor  the  man  to  whom 
she  stood  affianced,  and  how  miserable  the  accommodation 
afforded  to  the  new-born  King  !  Thus  has  poverty  become 
consecrated,  and  men  of  low  estate  are  exalted  to  honor. 
Every  believer  is  a  portrait  of  Christ,  but  a  poor  saint  is  the 


LcC.  25.  t»AILT    READINGS.  36l 

same  well-drawn  picture   liung  in   the    selfsame   frame  of 
poverty  which  surrounds  the  Master's  image. 

We  esteem  every  day  alike,  but  still,  as  the  season  and 
the  general  custom  suggest  thoughts  of  Jesus,  let  us  joyfully 
remember  our  dear  Redeemer's  glorious  birth.  Every  day 
should  be  the  birthday  of  the  Saviour  to  a  renewed  soul. 
Amid  all  that  is  humiliating,  there  is  much  that  is  honorable 
in  the  circumstances  of  the  birth  of  our  Immanuel.  Whose 
birth  was  ever  ushered  in  by  a  long  train  of  prophecy,  or 
longed  for  by  such  a  multitude  of  hearts  ?  Who  but  He  can 
boast  of  a  forerunner  who  marked  Him  as  the  coming  Man? 
When  did  angels  iiMlulgo  in  midnight  songs,  or  did  God  ever 
hang  a  new  star  in  the  sky  before  ?  To  whose  cradle  did  rich 
and  poor  make  so  willing  a  pilgrimage,  and  offer  such  hearty 
and  unsought  oblations  ?  Well  may  earth  rejoice  ;  well  may 
all  men  cease  their  labor  to  celebrate  "  the  great  birthday  " 
of  Jesus.  0  Bethlehem,  house  of  bread,  we  see  in  thee  our 
hopes  forever  gratified.  'Tis  He,  the  Saviour,  long  foretold, 
to  usher  in  the  age  of  gold.  Let  gladness  rule  the  hour ; 
let  holy  song  and  sweet  heart-music  accompany  our  soul  in 
its  raptures  of  delight. 

The  golden  name,  Immanuel,  is  inexpressibly  delightful. 
It  is  a  word  fit  for  the  lips  of  cherubim  for  its  majesty,  but, 
because  of  its  marvellous  condescension,  none  but  men  can 
utter  it.  He  is  not  so  with  seraphs  as  He  is  ivilh  tis.  God 
with  us  in  our  nature,  in  our  sorrow,  in  our  lifework,  in  our 
punishment,  in  our  grave,  and  now  with  us,  or  rather  we 
with  Him,  in  resurrection,  ^ascension,  triumph,  and  second 
advent  splendor.  The  babe  of  Bethlehem  appears  tc  be 
manifestly  with  us  in  weakness  and  in  poverty ;  let  us  not 
forget  that  He  is  equally  near  us  in  His  glory  and  honor. 
Faith  clasps  the  child,  and  love  kisses  Him  with  the  kisses 
of  her  lips.  0  for  true  spiritual  fellowship  with  Immanuel 
all  this  day ! 

31 


665  DAILY   READINGS.  1>*MJ.  26. 


"  The  last  Adam.'" —  1  Corinthians  xv.  45. 

^ESUS  is  the  federal  head  of  his  elect.  As  in  J^dam 
.^1  every  heir  of  flesh  and  blood  has  a  personal  interest 
^  because  he  is  the  covenant  head  and  representalivt 
of  the  race,  as  considered  under  the  law  of  works,  so,  under 
the  law  of  grace,  every  redeemed  soul  is  one  with  the  Lord 
from  heaven,  since  He  is  the  Second  Adam,  the  Sponsor 
and  Substitute  of  the  elect  in  the  new  covenant  of  love. 
The  apostle  Paul  declares  that  Levi  was  in  the  loins  of 
Abraham  when  Melchizedek  met  him :  it  is  a  certain  truth 
that  the  believer  was  in  the  loins  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Medi- 
ator, when  in  old  eternity  the  covenant  settlements  of  grace 
were  decreed,  ratified,  and  made  sure  forever.  Thus,  what- 
ever Christ  hath  done.  He  hath  wrought  for  the  whole  body 
of  His  Church.  We  were  crucified  in  Him,  and  buried  with 
Him  (read  Col.  ii.  10-13),  and,  to  make  it  still  more  won- 
derful, we  are  risen  with  Him,  and  even  ascended  with  Him 
to  the  seats  on  high.  (Eph.  ii.  6.)  It  is  thus  that  the  Church 
has  fulfilled  the  law,  and  is  "  accepted  in  the  Beloved."  It  is 
thus  that  she  is  regarded  with  complacency  by  the  just  Jeho- 
vah, for  He  views  her  in  Jesus,  and  does  not  look  upon  her 
as  separate  from  her  covenant  head.  As  the  anointed  Re- 
deeuier  of  Israel,  Christ  Jesus  has  nothing  distinct  from  His 
Church,  but  all  that  He  has  He  holds  for  her.  Adam's 
righteousness  was  ours  so  long  as  he  maintained  it,  and  his 
sin  was  ours  the  moment  that  he  committed  it ;  and,  in  the 
same  manner,  all  that  the  Second  Adam  is  or  does  is  ours 
as  well  as  His,  seeing  that  He  is  our  representative.  Here 
is  the  foundation  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  This  gracious 
system  of  representation  and  substitution,  which  moved  Jus- 
tin Martyr  to  cry  out,  "  0  blessed  change  !  0  sweet  permu- 
tation ! "  this  is  the  very  groundwork  of  the  gospel  of  our 
salvation,  and  is  to  be  received  with  strong  faith  and  rap- 
turous joy. 


Dec.  27.  Daily  RfeACiNGs.  863 

"  Can  the  I'ush  grow  up  without  mire"?" —  Job  viii.  11. 

^5i^*5JIE  rush  is  spongy  and  hollow,  and  even  so  is  a  hypo- 
ir  *^«  ^^^'® »  there  is  no  substance  or  stability  in  him.  It 
'*^*'^  is  shaken  to  and  fro  in  every  wind,  just  as  formalists 
yield  to  ever}'  influence  ;  for  this  reason  the  rush  is  not  broken 
by  the  tempest,  neither  are  hypocrites  troubled  with  perse- 
cution. I  would  not  willingly  be  a  deceiver,  or  be  ieceived  ; 
perhaps  the  text  for  this  day  may  help  me  to  try  myself, 
whether  I  be  a  hypocrite  or  no.  The  rush  by  nature  lives 
in  water,  and  owes  its  very  existence  to  the  mire  and  moisture 
wherein  it  has  taken  root ;  let  the  mire  become  dry,  and  the 
rush  withers  very  quickly.  Its  greenness  is  absolutely  de- 
pendent upon  circumstances  ;  a  present  abundance  of  water 
makes  it  flourish,  and  a  drought  destroys  it  at  once.  Is  this 
my  case  ?  Do  I  only  serve  God  when  I  am  in  good  com- 
pany, or  when  religion  is  profitable  and  respectable  ?  Do  I 
love  the  Lord  only  when  temporal  comforts  are  received 
from  His  hands  ?  If  so,  I  am  a  base  hypocrite,  and,  like  the 
withering  rush,  I  shall  perish  when  death  deprives  me  of 
outward  joys.  But  can  I  honestly  assert  that,  when  bodily 
comforts  have  been  few,  and  my  surroundings  have  been 
rather  adverse  to  grace  than  at  all  helpful  to  it,  I  have  still 
held  fast  my  integrity?  —  then  have  I  hope  that  there  is  genu- 
ine vital  godliness  in  me.  The  rush  cannot  grow  without  mire, 
but  plants  of  the  Lord's  right  hand  planting  can  and  do 
flourish  even  in  the  year  of  drought.  A  goodly  man  often 
grows  best  when  his  worldly  circumstances  decay.  He  who 
follows  Christ  for  his  bag  is  a  Judas ;  they  who  follow  for 
loaves  and  fishes  are  children  of  the  devil ;  but  they  who  at- 
tend Ilim  out  of  love  to  Himself  are  his  own  beloved  ones. 
Lord,  let  me  find  my  life  in  jPAee,  and  not  in  the  mire  of 
this  world's  fa"  or  or  gain. 


8(54  DAILY  REAijmds.    '  Dec.  i8 

"  The  life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  faith  of  tht 
Son  of  God"  — Galatians  ii.  20. 

I^HEN  the  Lord  in  mercy  passed  by  and  saw  us  in  our 
1^  blood,  He  first  of  all  said,  "  Live  ;  "  and  this  He  did 
^■^  first,  because  life  is  one  of  the  absolutely  essential 
things  in  spiritual  matters,  and  until  it  be  bestowed  we  are 
incapable  of  partaking  in  the  things  of  the  kingdom.  Now 
the  life  which  grace  confers  upon  the  saints  at  the  moment  of 
their  quickening  is  none  other  than  the  life  of  Christ,  which, 
like  the  sap  from  the  stem,  runs  into  us,  the  branches,  and 
establishes  a  living  connection  between  our  souls  and  Jesus. 
Faith  is  the  grace  which  perceives  this  union,  having  pro- 
ceeded from  it  as  its  first-fruit.  It  is  the  neck  which  joins 
the  body  of  the  Church  to  its  all-glorious  Head. 

"  O  Faith !  thou  bond  of  union  with  the  Lord, 
Is  not  this  office  thine  ?  and  thy  fit  name, 
In  the.economy  of  gospel  types, 
And  symbols  apposite — the  Church's  neck; 
Identifying  her  in  will  and  work 
With  Him  ascended  ?  " 

Faith  lays  hold  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  with  a  firm  and  de- 
termined grasp.  She  knows  His  excellence  and  worth,  and 
no  temptation  can  induce  her  to  repose  her  trust  elsewhere ; 
and  Christ  Jesus  is  so  delighted  with  this  heavenly  grace, 
that  He  never  ceases  to  strengthen  and  sustain  her  by  the 
loving  embrace  and  all-sufficient  support  of  His  eternal  arms. 
Here,  then,  is  established  a  living,  sensible,  and  delightful 
union  which  casts  forth  streams  of  love,  confidence,  sympathy, 
3omplacency,  and  joy,  whereof  both  the  bride  and  bridegroom 
'ove  to  drink.  When  the  soul  can  evidently  perceive  this 
jncness  between  itself  and  Christ,  the  pulse  may  be  felt  as 
boating  for  both,  and  the  one  blood  as  flowing  through  the 
reins  of  each.  Then  is  the  heart  as  near  heaven  as  it  can  be 
on  earth,  and  is  prepared  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  most  sub- 
lime and  spiritual  kind  of  fellowship. 


Dec.  29.  i>A.iLt  ftfeADiNGS.  36A 


Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  us." —  1  Samuel  vii.  12. 

^HE  word  "  hitherto  "  seems  like  a  hand  pointing  in 
\^  the  direction  of  the  past.  Twenty  3'ears  or  seventy, 
and  yet  "  hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  "  !  Through 
poverty,  through  wealth,  through  sickness,  through  health, 
at  home,  abroad,  on  the  land,  on  the  sea,  in  honor,  in  dis- 
honor, in  perplexity,  iu  joy,  in  trial,  in  triumph,  in  prayer, 
in  temptation,  "  hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  us  "  ! 

We  delight  to  look  down  a  long  avenue  of  trees.  It  is 
delightful  to  gaze  from  end  to  end  of  the  long  vista,  a  sort 
of  verdant  temple,  with  its  branching  pillars  and  its  arches 
of  leaves  ;  even  so  look  down  the  long  aisles  of  your  years, 
at  the  green  boughs  of  mercy  overhead,  and  the  strong  pil- 
lars of  loving  kindness  and  faithfulness  which  bear  up  your 
joys  ?  Are  there  no  birds  in  yonder  branches  singing  ? 
Surely,  there  must  be  many,  and  they  all  sing  of  mercy  re- 
ceived "  hitherto." 

But  the  word  also  points  fortvard.  For  when  a  man  gets 
up  to  a  certain  mark,  and  writes  "  hitherto,"  he  is  not  yet  at 
the  end ;  there  is  still  a  distance  to  be  traversed.  More  trials, 
more  joys  ;  more  temptations,  more  triumphs  ;  more  prayers, 
more  answers  ;  more  toils,  more  strength  ;  more  fights,  more 
victories  ;  and  then  come  sickness,  old  age,  disease,  df^ath. 
Is  it  over  now  ?  No  !  there  is  more  yet  —  awakening  in 
Jesus'  likeness,  thrones,  harps,  songs,  psalms,  white  raiment, 
the  face  of  Jesus,  the  society  of  saints,  the  glory  of  God,  the 
fulness  of  eternity,  the  infinity  of  bliss.  0,  be  of  good  cour- 
age, believer,  and  with  grateful  confidence  raise  thy  "  Eben- 

ezer,"  for — 

He  who  hath  helped  thee  hitherto 
Will  help  thee  all  thy  journey  through. 

When  read  in  heaven's  light,  how  glorious  and  marvellous  ■ 
prospect  will  thy  "  hitherto  "  unfold  to  thy  grateful  eye  ! 
'31* 


366  Daily  HEADtNGs.  l)ec.  30. 


"  Better  is  the  end  of  a  thing  than  the  beginning  thereof." 
Ecclesiastes  vii.  8. 

^BiSOOK  at  David's  Lord  and  Master ;  see  His  beginning. 

'  5^1  He  was  despised  and  rejected  of  men  ;  a  man  of  sor- 
rows and  acquainted  with  grief.  Would  you  see  ths 
end  ?  He  sits  at  His  Father's  right  hand,  expecting  until 
His  enemies  be  made  His  footstool.  "  As  He  is,  so  are  we 
also  in  this  world."  You  must  bear  the  cross,  or  you  shall 
never  wear  the  crown  ;  you  must  wade  through  the  mire,  or 
you  shall  never  walk  the  golden  pavement.  Cheer  up,  then, 
poor  Christian.  "  Better  is  the  end  of  a  thing  than  the  be- 
ginning thereof."  See  that  creeping  worm  ;  how  contempti- 
ble its  appearance !  It  is  the  beginning  of  a  thing.  Mark 
that  insect  with  gorgeous  wings,  playing  in  the  sunbeams 
sipping  at  the  flower  bells,  full  of  happiness  and  life  ;  that  is 
the  end  thereof.  That  caterpillar  is  yourself,  until  you  are 
wrapped  up  in  the  chrysalis  of  death ;  but  when  Christ  shal: 
appear  you  shall  be  like  Him,  for  you  shall  see  Him  as  He 
is.  Be  content  to  be  like  Him,  a  worm  and  no  man,  that 
like  Him  you  may  be  satisfied  when  you  wake  up  in  His  like- 
ness. That  rough-looking  diamond  is  put  upon  the  wheel 
of  the  lapidary.  He  cuts  it  on  all  sides.  It  loses  much  — 
much  that  seemed  costly  to  itself.  The  king  is  crowned ; 
the  diadem  is  put  upon  the  monarch's  head  with  trumpet's 
joyful  sound.  A  glittering  ray  flashes  from  that  coronet, 
and  it  beams  from  that  very  diamond  which  was  just  now  so 
sorely  vexed  by  the  lapidary.  You  may  venture  to  compare 
yourself  to  such  a  diamond,  for  you  are  one  of  God's  people  ; 
and  this  is  the  time  of  the  cutting  process.  Let  faith  and 
patience  have  their  perfect  work,  for  in  the  day  when  the 
crown  shall  be  set  upon  the  head  of  the  King  Eternal,  Im- 
mortal. Invisible,  one  ray  of  glory  shaU  stream  from  you. 
"  They  shall  be  Mine,"  saith  the  Lord,  "  in  the  day  when  ] 
make  up  My  jewels."  "  Better  is  the  end  of  a  thing  than  the 
beginning  thereof." 


Dec.  31.  nxiLV  UkADiNos.  367 


"  In  the  lout  cUty,  that  great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus  stood  and  cried, 
saying,  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  Me  and  drink." 
—  John  vii.  37. 


j^ATIENCE  had  her  perfect  woj  t  in  the  Lord  Jesus, 
s|jpvvll  and  until  the  last  day  of  the  feast  He  pleaded  with 
JL  the  Jews,  even  as  on  this  last  day  of  the  year  He 
pleads  with  us,  and  waits  to  be  gracious  to  us.  Admirable 
indeed  is  the  long-suffering  of  the  Saviour  in  bearing  with 
some  of  us  year  after  year,  notwithstanding  our  provocations, 
rebellions,  and  resistance  of  His  Holy  Spirit.  Wonder  of 
wonders  that  we  are  still  in  the  land  of  mercy. 

Pill/  exjiressed  herself  most  plainly,  for  Jesus  cried,  which 
implies  not  only  the  loudness  of  His  voice,  but  the  tenderness 
of  His  tones.  He  entreats  us  to  be  reconciled.  "  We  pray 
you,"  says  the  Apostle,  "  as  though  God  did  beseech  you  by 
us."  What  earnest,  pathetic  terms  are  these  !  How  deep 
must  be  the  love  which  makes  the  Lord  weep  over  sinners, 
and  like  a  mother  woo  His  children  to  His  bosom.  Surely 
at  the  call  of  such  a  cry  our  willing  hearts  will  come. 

Provision  is  tUade  most  plenteously ;  all  is  provided  that 
man  can  need  to  quench  his  soul's  thirst.  To  his  conscience 
the  atonement  brings  peace  ;  to  his  understanding  the  gos- 
pel brings  the  richest  instruction  ;  to  his  heart  the  person  of 
Jesus  is  the  noblest  object  of  affection  ;  to  the  whole  man 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  supplies  the  purest  nutriment. 
Thirst  is  terrible,  but  Jesus  can  remove  it.  Though  the  soul 
ircre  utterly  famished,  Jesus  could  restore  it. 

Proclamation  is  made,  most  freely,  that  every  thirsty  one  is 
welcome.  No  other  distinction  is  made  but  that  of  thirst. 
Whether  it  be  the  thirst  of  avarice,  ambition,  pleasure,  knowl- 
edge, or  rest,  he  who  suffers  from  it  is  invited.  The  thirst 
may  be  bad  in  itself,  and  be  no  sign  of  grace,  but  rather  a 
mark  of  inordinate  sin  longing  to  be  gratified  with  deeper 
draughts  of  lust;    but  it  is  not  goodness  in  the  croaturt 


368  DAILY   READINGS.  l)ec.  31. 

which  brings  him  the  invitation,  the  Ldrd  Jesus  sends  it 

freely,  and  without  respect  of  persons. 

Fersonality  is  declared  most  fully.  The  sinner  must  come 
to  Jtsus,  not  to  works,  ordinances,  or  doctrines,  but  to  a 
personal  Redeemer,  who  His  own  self  bore  our  sins  in  llis 
own  body  on  the  tree.  The  bleeding,  dying,  rising  Saviour 
is  the  only  star  of  hope  to  a  sinner.  0  for  grace  to  come 
now  and  drink,  ere  the  sun  sets  upon  the  year's  last  day ! 

No  waiting  or  preparation  is  so  much  as  hinted  at.  Drink- 
ing represents  a  reception  for  which  no  fitness  is  required. 
A  fool,  a  thief,  a  harlot  can  drink  ;  and  so  sinfulness  of  char- 
acter is  no  bar  to  the  invitation  to  believe  in  Jesus.  We 
want  no  golden  cup,  no  bejewelled  chalice,  in  which  to  con- 
vey the  water  to  the  thirsty,  the  mouth  of  poverty  is  wel- 
come to  stoop  down  and  quaff  the  flowing  flood.  Blistered, 
leprous,  filthy  lips  may  touch  the  stream  of  divine  love ; 
they  cannot  pollute  it,  but  shall  themselves  be  purified. 
Jesus  is  the  fount  of  hope.  Dear  reader,  hear  the  deai 
Redeemer's  loving  voice  as  He  cries  to  each  of  us,  "  If  ani 

HAN    IHIB8X,    LEI    HIM    COME    UNTO    Me    AND    DBINK." 


HYMNS 


MORNING    WORSHIP 


®lu    ^amilj}^ 


tbe  Lord.    Praise  tbe  Lord,  0  my  sonl.** 

P$ttmtiM 


(tm 


PREFACE. 


^S^NOWING  that  heads  of  families,  in  these  busy 
^P^  days,  have  little  time  to  select  Hymns  for 
the  family  altar,  and  are  not  always  judicious  in 
their  choice,  I  have  carefully  made  a  selection  of 
verses  which  I  believe  will  be  found  sweet  and 
suitable  for  morning  song.  It  is  unwise  to  make 
ftimily  exercises  long,  and  therefore  I  have  only 
allotted  two,  or,  at  the  most,  three  verses ;  but 
these  are  of  the  richest  kind.  The  tunes  are  merely 
appended  for  the  guidance  of  beginners  in  song; 
they  have  been  generally  chosen  on  account  of  their 
simplicity  of  character. 

Let  no  family  neglect  the  praises  of  the  Lord,  for, 
as  Matthew  Henry  says,  those  who  pray  do  well, 
those  who  read  and  pray  do  better,  but  those  who 
sing,  and  read,  and  pray,  do  best  of  all.  Happy  is 
that  household  where  the  day  begins  with  God,  all 
hearts  and  tongues  praising  him.  Let  those  who 
sing  in  the  family  continue  the  exercise,  and  let  those 
who  do  not,  begin  at  once,  if  possible. 


HYMNS    FOR   MORNING  WORSHIP 

For  the  months  of  January,  March,  May,  Jidy,  September^ 
and  November. 


IsT  MoENiNG.    C.  M.  Dedham.    Coronation. 

LET  Him  be  crowned  with  majesty 
Who  bowed  His  head  to  death, 
And  be  His  honors  sounded  high 
By  all  things  that  have  breath. 
Jesus  our  Lord,  how  wondrous  great 

Is  Thine  exalted  name  ! 
The  glories  of  Thy  heavenly  state 
Let  the  whole  earth  proclaim. 
2d  Mobnino.    7*8.  Nurtmhtfg, 

I  "WILL  praise  Thee  every  day  I 
Now  Thine  anger's  turned  away; 
Comfortable  thoughts  arise 
From  the  bleeding  sacrifice. 
Jesus  is  become,  at  length, 
My  salvation  and  my  strength, 
And  His  praises  shall  prolong, 
While  I  live,  my  pleasant  song. 

8d  MoRNiNa.    8,  7.  Autumn.    NettleUm* 

PASCHAL  Lamb,  by  God  appointed, 
All  our  sins  were  on  Thee  laid ; 
By  almighty  Love  anointed, 

Thou  hast  full  atonement  made. 
All  Thy  people  are  forgiven 

Through  the  virtue  of  Thy  Blood  ; 
Opened  is  the  gate  of  heaven ; 

Peace  is  made  'twixt  man  and  God. 
4th  Mornlno.    L.  M.  Uxbridge.    Retrtei 

"Y  God,  how  endless  is  Thy  love  ! 
Thy  gifts  are  every  evening  new ; 
And  morning  mercies  from  above 

Gently  distil  like  early  dew. 
I  yield  my  powers  to  Thy  command ; 

To  Thee  I  consecrate  my  days ; 
Perpetual  blessings  from  Thine  hand 
Demand  perpetual  songs  of  praiae. 

as 


M 


374  HYMNS  FOB  MORNING   WORSHIP. 


6xH  MoBNiNG.    C.  M.  Azmon.     Oaxtr* 

THOU  from  whom  all  goodness  flows, 
I  lift  my  heart  to  Thee  ; 
In  all  my  sorrows,  conflicts,  woes, 
Dear  Lord,  remember  me  ! 


o 


When  groaning  on  my  burdened  heart 

My  sins  lie  heavily, 
My  pardon  speak,  new  peace  impart. 

In  love  remember  me. 

Bth  Mobning.    C.  M.  Selena.    Ncumi. 

LORD,  in  the  day,  Thou  art  about 
The  paths  wherein  I  tread  ; 
And  in  the  night,  when  I  lie  down. 
Thou  art  about  my  bed. 

*Tis  Thou  dost  crown  my  hopes,  and  plant 

With  good  success  each  day ; 
This  crown,  together  with  myself. 

At  Thy  blest  feet  I  lay. 

0,  let  my  house  a  temple  be. 

That  I  and  mine  may  sing 
Hosanna  to  Thy  Majesty, 

And  praise  our  heavenly  King ! 

7th  Mobning.    7's.  Fulton,     WaylamL 

JESUS,  cast  a  look  on  me ; 
Give  me  sweet  simplicity ; 
Make  me  poor  and  keep  me  low, 
Seeking  only  Thee  to  know. 

Leaning  on  Thy  loving  breast. 
Where  a  weary  soul  may  rest ; 
Feeling  well  the  peace  of  God 
Flowing  from  Thy  precious  blood ! 

In  this  posture  let  me  live. 
And  hosannas  daily  give ; 
In  this  temper  let  me  die. 
And  hosannas  ever  cry  I 


HYMNS  FOB   MORNING    WORSHIP.  37^ 

8th  Mobnino.    L.  M.  Duke  St.    BothwdL 

AWAKE,  my  soul,  and  with  the  sun 
Thy  daily  stage  of  duty  run ; 
Shake  off  dull  sloth,  and  early  rise 
To  pay  thy  morning  sacrifice. 

All  praise  to  Thee,  who  safe  hast  kept, 
And  hast  refreshed  me  whilst  I  slept  1 
Grant,  Lord,  when  I  from  death  shall  wake, 
I  may  of  endless  life  partake  ! 

Direct,  control,  suggest,  this  day. 
All  I  design,  or  do,  or  say ; 
That  all  my  powers,  with  all  their  might, 
In  Thy  sole  glory  may  unite. 

8rH  MoKNiNo.    L.  M.  Windham.    Zephyr* 

WHEN  I  survey  the  wondrous  cross 
On  which  the  Prince  of  glory  died. 
My  richest  gain  I  count  but  loss. 
And  pour  contempt  on  all  my  pride. 

Forbid  it.  Lord,  that  I  should  boast. 
Save  in  the  death  of  Christ,  my  God ; 

All  the  vain  things  which  charm  me  most, 
I  sacrifice  them  to  His  blood. 

See  from  His  head,  His  hands.  His  feet. 
Sorrow  and  love  flow  mingled  down  I 

Did  e'er  such  love  and  sorrow  meet. 
Or  thorns  compose  so  rich  a  crown  ? 

IOth  Morning.    C.  M.  OrtonviOe.     Wirlh 

HOW  sweet  the  name  of  Jesus  sounds 
In  a  believer's  ear ! 
It  soothes  his  sorrows,  heals  his  wounds, 
And  drives  away  his  fear  ! 

It  makes  the  wounded  spirit  whole. 

And  calms  the  troubled  breast; 
'Tis  manna  to  the  hungry  soul, 

And  to  the  weary  rest. 


8T6  HYMNS   FOB  MORNING  WORSHIP. 


o 


11th  Moriono.    L.  M.  Hamhwrg.     RoUand. 

GOD,  Thou  art  my  God  alone  ; 
Early  to  Thee  my  soul  shall  cry ; 
A  pilgrim  in  a  land  unknown, 

A  thirsty  land,  where  springs  are  dry. 

Better  than  life  itself  Thy  love. 

Dearer  than  all  beside  to  me ; 
For  whom  have  I  in  heaven  above, 

Or  what  on  earth,  compared  to  Thee  ? 

Praise  with  my  heart,  my  mind,  my  voice, 

For  all  Thy  mercy,  I  wiU  give ; 
My  soul  shall  still  in  God  rejoice. 

My  tongue  shall  bless  Thee  while  I  live. 

12th  Morniko.    C.  M.  Harlow,    Brmm, 

LET  all  the  just,  to  God,  with  joy,  • 
Their  cheerful  voices  raise ; 
For  well  the  righteous  it  becomes 
To  sing  glad  songs  of  praise. 

For  faithful  is  the  word  of  God ; 

His  works  with  truth  abound ; 
He  justice  loves  —  and  all  the  earth 

Is  with  his  goodness  crowned. 


13th  MoRNiNa.    S.  M.  Golden  S*a,    BeyU, 

BLESS  the  Lord,  my  soul  I 
Let  all  within  me  join. 
And  aid  my  tongue  to  bless  His  name 
Whose  favors  are  divine. 


0 


*Tis  He  forgives  thy  sins, 
'Tis  He  relieves  thy  pain, 
'Tis  He  that  heals  thy  sicknesses, 
And  makes  thee  young  again. 

He  crowns  thy  life  with  love. 
When  ransomed  from  the  grave  ; 
He  that  redeemed  my  soul  from  hell 
Hatli  sovereign  power  to  save. 


o 


HYMNS   FOR  MORNING   WORSHIP.  377 

14th  Morning.     C.  M.  Azmon.     j)edham. 

|UR  God,  our  help  in  ages  past, 
_       Our  hope  for  years  to  come, 
Our  shelter  from  the  stormy  blast. 
And  our  eternal  home. 

Under  the  shadow  of  Thy  throne 

Thy  saints  have  dwelt  secure  ; 
Sufficient  is  Thine  arm  alone, 

And  our  defence  is  sure. 

16th  Morning.     C  M.  Helena.    iVooNM. 

THERE  is  an  hour  when  I  must  part 
With  all  I  hold  most  dear, 
And  life,  with  its  best  hopes,  will  then 
As  nothingness  appear. 

There  is  an  hour  when  I  must  stand 

Before  the  judgment-seat, 
And  all  my  sins,  and  all  my  foes, 

In  awful  vision  meet. 

0  Saviour,  then,  in  all  my  need. 
Be  near,  be  near  to  me. 

And  let  my  soul,  in  steadfast  faith, 
Find  life  and  heaven  in  Thee  ! 

16th  Morning.     C.  M.  Dundee.     OrtonvHU, 

JESUS,  Thou  art  my  Righteousness, 
For  all  my  sins  were  Thine  ; 
Thy  death  hath  bought  of  God  my  peace, 
Thy  life  hath  made  Him  mine. 

Spotless  and  just  in  Thee  I  am  ; 
I  feel  my  sins  forgiven  ; 

1  taste  salvation  in  Thy  name. 

And  antedate  my  Jieaven. 

ITth  Morning.     C.  M.  Old  Hundrtdtk 

THOU  by  whom  we  come  to  God, 
The  Life,  the  Truth,  the  Way ; 
The  path  of  prayer  Thyself  hast  trod  : 
Lord,  teach  us  how  to  pray  I 
32* 


0 


878  HYMNS   FOR   MORNING   WORSHIP. 

18th  Morning.     S.  M.  St.  Thomas.     Laban. 

ra^RE  Lord  Himself  will  keep 

i        His  people  safe  from  harm, 
Will  hold  the  helm,  and  guide  the  ship, 
With  His  almighty  arm. 

Then  let  the  tempests  roar, 

The  billows  heave  and  swell ; 
We  trust  to  reach  the  peaceful  shore 

Where  all  the  ransomed  dwell. 


19th  Mobning.     S.  M.  Dennis.     Shdrland 

Y  spirit  on  Thy  care, 
Blest  Saviour,  I  recline  ; 
Thou  wilt  not  leave  me  to  despair. 
For  Thou  art  Love  divine. 


M' 


In  Thee  I  place  my  trust. 

On  Thee  I  calmly  rest ; 
I  know  Thee  good,  I  know  Thee  just. 

And  count  Thy  choice  the  best. 


0 


20th  Morning.     C.  M.  Naomi.     Selena. 

^UE.  Lord,  when  here  in  feeble  flesh, 
Poured  out  His  cries  and  tears. 
And  in  His  measure  feels  afresh 
What  every  member  bears. 

Then  let  our  humble  faith  address 

His  mercy  and  His  power ; 
We  shall  obtain  delivering  grace 

In  the  distressing  hour. 

21 BT  MoENiNG.     T's.  Nuremberg      ffemdon, 

(OME,  my  soul,  thy  suit  prepare ; 
Jesus  loves  to  answer  prayer ; 
He  Himself  has  bid -thee  pray. 
Therefore  will  not  say  thee  nay. 

Thou  art  coming  to  a  King ; 
Large  petitions  with  thee  bring ; 
For  His  grace  and  power  are  such) 
Noce  gan  ever  ask  too  much. 


O 


G" 


HYMNS   FOR  MORNING   WORSHIP.  379 

22d  Morning.     L.  M.  Zephyr.     Retreat. 

IN  every  dark,  distressing  hour,  • 

Wiien  sin  and  Satan  join  their  power, 
Let  this  dear  hope  repel  the  dart  — 
That  Jesus  bears  us  on  His  heart. 

Great  Advocate,  Almighty  Friend, 
On  Him  our  humble  hopes  depend ; 
Our  cause  can  never,  never  fail, 
For  Jesus  pleads,  and  must  prevail. 

23d  Morning.     C.  M.  Dundee.     ByefiticL 

OD  is  our  Refuge,  tried  and  proved, 
Amid  a  stormy  world  ; 
We  will  not  fear,  though  earth  be  moved. 
And  hills  in  ocean  hurled. 

The  waves  may  roar,  the  mountains  shake. 

Our  comforts  shall  not  cease ; 
The  Lord  His  saints  will  not  forsake, 

The  Lord  will  give  us  peace. 

24th  Morning.     C.  M.  Evan.    La  Mira. 

COME,  let  us  to  the  Lord  our  God, 
With  contrite  hearts,  return  ; 
Our  God  is  gracious,  nor  will  leave 
The  desolate  to  mourn. 

His  voice  commands  the  tempest  forth, 

And  stills  the  stormy  wave  ; 
And  though  His  arm  be  strong  to  smite, 

'Tis  also  strong  to  save. 

26th  Morning.     CM.  Uenry.     Stephens 

Y  God,  the  Spring  of  all  my  joys, 
The  Life  of  my  delights, 
The  Glory  of  my  brightest  days. 
And  Comfort  of  my  nights  ! 

In  darkest  shades,  if  He  appear. 

My  dawning  is  begun  ; 
He  is  my  soul's  sweet  morning  star, 

And  He  my  rising  sun. 


M 


880  HYMN8    FOR   MORNING   WORSHIP. 

26iH  Morning.     C.  M.  Fountain.    Azmon, 

THERE  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood, 
Drawn  from  Immanuel's  veins, 
And  sinners,  plunged  beneath  that  flood, 
Lose  all  their  guilty  stains. 

The  dying  thief  rejoiced  to  see 

That  fountain  in  his  day ; 
And  there  have  I,  as  well  as  he, 

Washed  all  my  sins  away. 


A^ 


27th  MoKiTiNG.     S.  M.  Silver  Street.    Laban, 

WAKE,  and  sing  the  song 
Of  Moses  and  the  Lamb, 
Wake  every  heart  and  every  tongue 
To  praise  the  Saviour's  name. 

Sing  of  His  dying  love  ; 

Sing  of  His  rising  power  ; 
Sing  how  He  intercedes  above 

For  those  whose  sins  He  bore. 

Sing  till  we  feel  our  hearts 

Ascending  with  our  tongues ; 
Sing  till  the  love  of  sin  departs. 

And  grace  inspires  our  songs. 


c 


28th  Morning.     S.  M.  St.  Thomas.     State  Strut, 

lOME,  Holy  Spirit,  come. 
Let  Thy  bright  beams  arise. 
Dispel  the  darkness  from  our  minds, 
And  open  all  our  eyes. 

'Tis  Thine  to  cleanse  the  heart, 

To  sanctify  the  soul. 
To  pour  fresh  life  in  every  part, 

And  new  create  the  whole. 

Dwell,  therefore,  in  our  hearts. 
Our  minds  from  bondage  free ; 

Then  we  shall  know,  and  praise,  and  love 
The  Father,  Son,  and  Thee  ! 


HYMNS   FOR  MORNING   WORSHIP.  381 

2^n  Morning.     C  M.  Brown.    Downs. 

HOSANNA  !    Master  !    lo,  we  bring 
Our  offerings  to  Thy  throne  ; 
Not  gold,  nor  rayrrh,  nor  mortal  thing, 
But  hearts  to  be  Thine  own. 

Hosanna !    once  Thy  gracious  ear 

Approved  a  lisping  throng  ; 
Be  gracious  still,  and  deign  to  hear 

Our  poor  but  grateful  song. 


80th  Moening.    C.  M.  La  Mira.    Byefidd. 

THIS  land,  through  which  His  pilgrims  go, 
Is  desolate  and  dry ; 
But  streams  of  grace  from  Jesus  flow. 
Their  thirst  to  satisfy. 

When  troubles,  like  a  burning  sun, 

Beat  heavy  on  their  head, 
To  this  almighty  Rock  they  run, 

And  find  a  pleasing  shade. 

How  glorious  He  !   how  happy  they 

In  such  a  glorious  Friend  ! 
Whose  love  secures  them  all  the  way. 

And  crowns  them  at  the  end. 

81sT  Morning.    C.  M.  Balerma.    Stepluii$. 

HE  who  on  earth  as  man  was  known, 
And  bore  our  sins  and  pains, 
Now,  seated  on  th'  eternal  Throne, 
The  God  of  glory  reigns. 

His  hands  the  wheels  of  nature  guide 

With  an  unerring  skill, 
And  countless  worlds,  extended  wide, 

Obey  His  sovereign  will. 

While  harps  unnumbered  sound  His  praise 

In  yonder  world  above. 
His  saints  on  earth  admire  His  ways. 

And  glory  in  His  love. 


882  HYMNS   FOR  MORNING   WORSHIP. 


HYMNS    FOR   MORNING  WORSHIP. 

For  the  months  of  February,  April,  June,  August,  Octoher, 
and  December. 


IsT  MoENiNG.    C.  M.  Brown.    Hehtr. 

THAT  I  could  the  blessing  prove. 
My  heart's  extreme  desire  ! 
Live  happy  in  my  Saviour's  love. 
And  in  His  arms  expire  ! 


o 


Nothing  I  ask  or  want  beside, 
Of  all  in  earth  or  heaven, 

But  let  me  feel  Thy  blood  applied, 
And  live  and  die  forgiven. 


O' 


2d  MoKNiNG.    C.  M.  Peterboro\    La  Mira, 

^N  Thee,  each  morning,  0  my  God, 
My  waking  thoughts  attend ; 
In  Thee  are  founded  all  my  hopes, 
In  Thee  my  wishes  end. 

My  spirit,  in  Thy  hand  secure. 

Fears  no  approaching  ill ; 
For  whether  waking  or  asleep. 

Thou,  Lord,  art  with  me  still. 

3d  MoENiNa.    C.  M.  Balerma.    JBelena, 

LORD,  I  believe  Thou  hast  prepared. 
Unworthy  though  I  be, 
For  me  a  blood-bought  fi-ee  reward, — 
A  golden  harp  for  me. 

'Tis  strung  and  tuned  for  endless  years. 

And  formed  by  power  divine. 
To  sound  in  Grod  the  Father's  ears 

No  other  name  but  Thine. 


HYMNS  FOR   MORNING   WORSmP.  383 

4th  Mohntno.    L.  M.  Hamburg.    Zephyr. 

HEAR,  gracious  God !   a  sinner's  cry, 
For  I  have  nowhere  else  to  fly ; 
My  hope,  my  only  hope 's  in  Thee ; 
O  God,  be  merciful  to  me  ! 

To  Thee  I  come,  a  sinner  poor, 
And  wait  for  mercy  at  Thy  door ; 
Indeed,  I've  nowhere  else  to  flee  : 
O  God,  be  merciful  to  me  ! 

6th  Moknino.    L.  M.  Dumbarton.     Ward* 

IN  every  pang  that  rends  the  heart, 
The  Man  of  Sorrows  had  a  part ; 
He  sympathizes  with  our  grief, 
And  to  the  sufferer  sends  relief. 

With  boldness,  therefore,  at  the  throne. 
Let  us  make  all  our  sorrows  known ; 
And  ask  the  aid  of  heavenly  power 
To  help  us  in  the  evil  hour. 

exH  MoBOTNO.    L.  M.  Eest,    CapHtHy. 

lENEATH  Thy  cross  I  lay  me  down, 
And  mourn  to  see  thy  bloody  crown ; 
Love  drops  in  blood  from  every  vein ; 
Love  is  the  spring  of  all  His  pain. 

Here,  Jesus,  I  shall  ever  stay, 
And  spend  my  longing  hours  away. 
Think  on  Thy  bleeding  wounds  and  pain, 
And  contemplate  Thy  woes  again. 

Vth  Morning.    C.  M.  Naomi.    La  Mira, 

GIVE  mo  a  calm,  a  thankful  heart. 
From  every  murmur  free  ; 
The  blessings  of  Thy  grace  impart, 
And  let  me  live  to  Thee. 

Let  the  sweet  hope  that  Thou  art  mine 

My  path  of  life  attend ; 
Thy  presence  through  my  journey  shino. 

And  bless  its  happy  end ! 


B 


384  HYMNS   FOR   MORNING   WORSHIP. 

8tu  Morning.     L.  M.  Old  Hundred.     RcXland. 

JESUS,  our  GoJ,  our  sou's  adore, 
A  painful  sufferer  now  no  more  ; 
High  on  His  Father's  throne  He  reigns 
O'er  earth,  and  heaven's  extensive  plains. 

His  race  forever  is  complete  ; 
Forever  undisturbed  His  seat ; 
Myriads  of  angels  round  Him  fly, 
And  sing  His  well-gained  victory. 

Yet  'midst  the  honors  of  His  throne, 
He  joys  not  for  Himself  alone  ; 
His  meanest  servants  share  their  part  — 
Share  in  their  Saviour's  tender  heart. 

9th  MoRNrNG.     C.  M.  Stephens.    DowM, 

nOREVER  here  my  rest  shall  be, 


Y 


Close  to  Thy  bleeding  side 
This  all  my  hope  and  all  my  plea, - 
For  me  the  Saviour  died. 

My  dying  Saviour  and  my  God, 
Fountain  for  guilt  and  sin. 

Sprinkle  me  ever  with  Thy  blood. 
And  cleanse  and  keep  me  clean. 


A^ 


LOth  Morning.    L.  M.  Loving  Kindness.    RoUa^A 

WAKE,  my  soul,  in  joyful  lays, 

To  sing  Thy  great  Redeemer's  praise ; 
He  justly  claims  a  song  from  me  ; 
His  loving-kindness,  0,  how  free  ! 

He  saw  me  ruined  in  the  fall, 
Yet  loved  me  notwithstanding  all ; 
He  saved  me  from  my  lost  estate ; 
His  loving-kindness,  0,  how  great  1 

Though  numerous  hosts  of  mighty  foes. 
Though  earth  and  hell  my  way  oppose. 
He  safely  leads  my  soul  along ; 
His  loving-kindness,  0,  how  strong  I 


HYMNS   FOR  MORNING  WORSHIP.  386 


N' 


Uth  Morning.     C.  M.  Peterloro'.    Azni9n. 

OW  let  our  cheerful  eyes  survey 
Our  great  High  Priest  above, 
And  celebrate  His  constant  care 
And  sympathetic  love. 

Though  raised  to  a  superior  throne, 

Where  angels  bow  around. 
And  high  o'er  all  the  shining  train, 

With  matchless  honors  crowned,  — 

The  names  of  all  His  saints  He  bears 

Deep  graven  on  His  heart ; 
Nor  shall  the  meanest  Christian  say 

That  he  hath  lost  his  part. 

12th  Morning.    CM.  Brown,    Down$, 

JESUS,  the  King  of  glory,  reigns 
On  Sion's  heavenly  hill ; 
Looks  like  a  lamb  that  has  been  slain, 
And  wears  His  priesthood  still. 

He  ever  lives  to  intercede 

Before  His  Father's  face  ; 
Give  Him,  my  soul,  thy  cause  to  plead, 

Nor  doubt  the  Father's  grace. 

ISth  Morning.    L.  M.  Eamhur0      Bsti, 

JESUS,  our  Saviour  and  our  God, 
Arrayed  in  majesty  and  blood. 
Thou  art  our  life  ;  our  souls  in  Thee 
Possess  a  full  felicity. 

All  our  immortal  hopes  are  laid 
In  Thee,  our  Surety  and  our  Head ; 
Thy  cross,  Thy  cradle,  and  Thy  throne, 
Are  big  with  glories  yet  unknown. 

0,  let  our  souls  forever  lie 
Beneath  the  blessings  of  Thine  eye  ; 
'Tis  heaven  on  earth,  'tis  heaven  above. 
To  see  Thy  face  and  taste  Thy  love. 

S3 


o 


386  &YMNS   FOR  MORNING   WORSHIl^. 

14tb  Morning.    L.  M.  Gratitude.    A$hwtlL 

LORD  JESUS,  when  we  stand  afar 
And  see  Thee  bleeding  on  the  cross, 
In  love  of  Thee  and  scorn  of  self, 
0,  may  we  count  the  world  as  loss. 

When  we  behold  Thy  bleeding  wounds, 
And  the  rough  way  that  Thou  hast  trod, 

Make  us  to  hate  the  load  of  sin 
That  lay  so  heavy  on  our  God. 

15th  Morning.     C.  M.  Balerma.    Azmon* 

FOE,  a  heart  to  praise  my  God, 
A  heart  from  sin  set  free, 
A  heart  that  always  feels  Thy  blood 
So  freely  spilt  for  me  ! 

A  heart  resigned,  submissive,  meek, 

My  dear  Redeemer's  throne, 
Where  only  Christ  is  heard  to  speak, 

Where  Jesus  reigns  alone. 

16th  Morning.    L.  M.  Woodworfh.    ZepTvyr, 

JUST  as  I  am,  without  one  plea, 
But  that  Thy  blood  was  shed  for  me, 
And  that  Thou  bidd'st  me  come  to  Thee, 
0  Lamb  of  God,  I  come  I  I  come  ! 

Just  as  I  am,  and  waiting  not 
To  rid  my  soul  of  one  dark  blot, 
To  Thee,  whose  blood  can  cleanse  each  spot) 
0  Lamb  of  God,  I  come  !  I  come  ! 

17th  Morning.    C.  M.  Marlow.     OrtoTvuilUt 

YES,  I  will  bless  Thee,  0  my  God, 
Through  all  my  mortal  days, 
And  to  eternity  prolong 

Thy  vast,  Thy  boundless  praise. 

.-.tt  every  smiling,  happy  hour. 

Be  this  my  sweet  employ ; 
Thy  praise  refines  my  earthly  bliss, 

And  doubles  all  my  joy. 


HYMNS   FOR   MORNING    WORSHIP.  387 

18th  Moknino.     7*8.  Nuremberg.     FuUon. 

ON  of  God,  to  Thee  we  bow; 
Thou  art  Lord,  and  ouly  Thou  ; 
Thou  the  woman's  promised  Seed  ; 
Thou,  who  didst  for  sinners  bleed  ! 


S' 


Thee  the  angels  ceasless  sing  ; 
Thee  we  praise,  our  Priest  and  King. 
Worthy  is  Thy  name  of  praise, 
Full  of  glory,  full  of  grace ! 


A' 


19th  Mobnino.    C.  M.  Azmon.     Helena. 

PPIIOACH,  my  soul,  the  mercy-seat, 
Where  Jesus  answers  prayer ; 
There  humbly  fall  before  His  feet. 
For  none  can  perish  there. 

Thy  promise  is  my  only  plea ; 

With  this  I  venture  nigh  ; 
Thou  callest  burdened  souls  to  Thee, 

And  such,  0  Lord,  am  I. 


D 


20th  Morning.    C.  M.  Balervia.    Naomi, 

JD  Jesus  bow  Ilis  sacred  head, 
And  die  a  death  of  shame  ? 
Let  men  and  angels  magnify 
And  bless  His  holy  name ! 

0,  let  us  live  in  peace  and  love. 

And  cast  away  our  pride. 
And  crucify  our  sins  afresh. 

As  He  was  crucified  ! 


K 


2l8T  Morning.     Vs.  Fulton.     PlcyeTs  Eymn> 

EAVENLY  FATHER,  to  whose  eye 
Future  things  unfolded  lie, 
Through  the  desert,  where  I  stray. 
Let  Thy  counsels  guide  my  way. 

Lord,  uphold  me  day  by  day, 
Shed  a  light  upon  my  way, 
Guide  me  through  perplexing  snares. 
Care  for  me  in  all  my  cares. 


488  HYMNS   FOR  MORNING   WORSHIP. 


G' 


22d  Morning.     S.  M.  Lahan.     OlinvtM* 

IVE  to  the  winds  thy  fears ; 
Hope  and  be  undismayed  ; 
God  hears  thy  sighs,  and  counts  thy  tears ; 
God  shall  lift  up  thy  head. 

Through  waves,  and  clouds,  and  storms, 

He  gently  clears  thy  way ; 
Wait  thou  His  time  ;  so  shall  this  night 

Soon  end  in  joyous  day. 

23d  MoKNiNG.    C.  M.  Dundee.    Broum. 

THE  head  that  once  was  crowned  with  thojus 
Is  crowned  with  glory  now ; 
A  royal  diadem  adorns 
The  mighty  Victor's  brow. 

The  highest  place  that  heaven  affords 

Is  His,  is  His  by  right ; 
The  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords* 

And  heaven's  eternal  Light. 

The  joy  of  all  who  dwell  above. 

The  joy  of  all  below, 
To  whom  He  manifests  His  love, 

And  grants  His  name  to  know. 

k  its  Morning.    L.  M.  Htbroiu     Oaptiviiifx 

THIRST,  but  not  as  once  I  did, 
The  vain  delights  of  earth  to  share  ; 
Thy  wounds,  Imnianuel,  all  forbid 

That  I  should  seek  my  pleasure  there. 

It  was  the  sight  of  Thy  dear  cross 

First  weaned  my  soul  from  earthly  things. 

And  taught  me  to  esteem  as  dross 

The  mirth  of  fools  and  pomp  of  kings. 

Dear  Fountain  of  delight  unknown, 

No  longer  sink  below  the  brim. 
But  overflow,  and  pour  me  down 

A  living  and  life-giving  stream. 


S' 


HTMNS  FOR  MORNING   WORSHIP.  389 

26th  Moknino.     8,  7.  Sicily,  or  Dismission. 

WEET  the  moments,  rich  in  blessing, 
Which  before  the  cross  I  spend ; 
Life,  and  health,  and  peace  possessing 
From  the  sinner's  dying  Friend. 

Here  I'll  sit,  forever  viewing 

Mercy's  streams  in  streams  of  blood  ; 

Precious  drops,  my  soul  bedewing. 
Plead  and  claim  my  peace  with  God. 

20TH  Morning.    8,  7.  OreenvHU. 

TRULY  blessed  is  the  station 
Low  before  His  cross  to  lie, 
While  I  see  divine  compassion 
Floating  in  His  languid  eye. 

Here  it  is  I  find  my  heaven, 

While  upon  the  Lamb  I  gaze  : 
Love  I  much  ?  I've  more  forgiven ; 

I'm  a  miracle  of  grace. 

27th  Morning.     C.  M.  Broieiu    Dedham. 

WHOM  have  we.  Lord,  in  heaven  but  Thee, 
And  whom  on  earth  beside  ? 
Where  else  for  succor  can  we  flee, 
Or  in  whose  strength  confide  ? 

Thou  art  our  portion  here  below, 

Our  promised  bliss  above  : 
Ne'er  may  our  souls  an  object  know 

So  precious  as  Thy  love. 

28th  Mobning.    L.  M.  Uxbridge.    Merc*. 

Ij^TERNAL  Spirit!  we  confess, 
J     And  sing  the  wonders  of  Thy  grace ; 
Thy  power  conveys  our  blessings  down 
From  God  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

The  troubled  conscience  knows  Thy  voice, 
Thy  cheering  words  awake  our  joys  ; 
Thy  words  allay  the  stormy  wind.. 
And  calm  the  surges  of  the  mind. 
33* 


8&<)  HYMNS   FOR   MORNING   WORSHIP. 

29th  Morning.    L.  M.  Old  Hundred.     Duke  Street. 

THE  Lord  is  King  !  lift  up  thy  voice ; 
0  earth,  and  all  ye  heavens,  rejoice ; 
From  world  to  world  the  joy  shall  ring  ; 
The  Lord  omnipotent  is  King. 

The  Lord  is  King  !  who  then  shall  dare 
Resist  His  will,  distrust  His  care, 
Or  murmur  at  His  wise  decrees, 
Or  doubt  His  royal  promises  ? 

SOth  Moening.    7*8.  Fulton.    PleyeVs  Hymnm 

CHILDREN  of  the  heavenly  King, 
As  ye  journey,  sweetly  sing ; 
Sing  your  Saviour's  worthy  praise, 
Glorious  in  His  works  and  ways  ! 

We  are  travelling  home  to  God, 
In  the  way  the  fathers  trod  : 
They  are  happy  now ;  and  we 
Soon  their  happiness  shall  see. 

Fear  not,  brethren  !  joyful  stand 
On  the  borders  of  your  land ; 
Jesus  Christ,  your  Father's  Son, 
Bids  you  undismayed  go  on. 


31sT  MoBNiNo.    C.  M.  Mewf.    JliUna, 

GOD  of  Bethel,  by  whose  hand 
Thy  people  still  are  fed, 
"Who  through  this  weary  pilgrimage 
Hast  all  our  fathers  led,  — 


o 


Our  vows,  our  prayers,  we  now  present 
Before  Thy  throne  of  grace  ; 

God  of  our  fathers  !  be  the  God 
Of  their  succeeding  race. 

Through  each  perplexing  path  of  life 
Our  wandering  footsteps  guide  ; 

Give  us  each  day  our  daily  bread. 
And  raiment  fit  provide. 


HYMNS 


FAMILY     WORSHIP 


ON  THE  MORNINO  OF 


^ht  ^$XiV^   gajj. 


"  Praise  ye  the  Lord.    Sing  unto  the  Lord  a  new  song,  and  Hla 
pralM  in  the  congregation  of  saints."  —  Psalm  cxlix. 


(»l) 


NOTE. 

SUFFICIENT  Sabbath  Hymns  are  here  provided  for 
BIX  months,  and  we  feel  sure  that,  occurring  only 
twice  in  the  year,  there  will  be  no  fear  of  monotony. 
Having  once  gone  through  them,  on  the  first  Sunday  of 
July  the  family  will  recommence  the  series,  and  continue 
till  the  end  of  the  year.  It  is  only  occasionally  that  twenty- 
seven  Sundays  will  occur  in  any  one  half-year,  and  therefore 
the  twenty-seventh  Hymn  will  not  be  usually  sung. 

May  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  hear  the  morning  songs  of 
His  people,  and  prepare  them  for  the  louder  shout  of  the 
great  congregation.  We  should,  at  the  family  altar,  tune 
our  harps  for  the  solemn  music  of  the  sanctuary.  They  are 
blessed  indeed  who  go  from  worship  in  the  tents  of  Jacob 
to  the  solemnities  of  the  temple  of  Zion.  May  the  Lord, 
who  rested  on  the  seventh  day  and  was  refreshed,  give  to 
His  people  rest  and  refreshment  on  this  their  day  of  sacred 

Babbath. 

(HO 


HTMNS  FOR  TUE  LORD'S  DAY. 


A' 


H 


IsT  MoENiNO.     L.  M.  Hehron.     Meroe. 

NOTHER  six  days'  work  is  done, 
Another  Sabbath  is  begun  ; 
Return,  my  soul,  enjoy  thy  rest. 
Improve  the  day  thy  God  hath  blest. 
0  that  our  thoughts  and  thanks  may  rise 
As  grateful  incense  to  the  skies, 
And  draw  from  heaven  that  sweet  repose 
Which  none  but  be  that  feels  it  knoV/B. 
This  heavenly  calm  within  the  breast 
Is  the  dear  pledge  of  glorious  rest. 
Which  for  the  church  of  God  remaine, 
The  end  of  cares,  the  end  of  pains. 

2d  Morking.    L.  M.  Duke  Street.     Rett. 

"AIL  !  sacred  morn,  when  Christ  arose 
Triumphant  o'er  our  mighty  foes ; 
Hail !  blissful  day,  when  He  appears 
In  Zion's  courts,  and  Zion  cheers. 
Entombed  in  doubts  and  fears  we  lie, 
Till  Christ,  descending  from  on  high, 
Rolls  unbelief  (that  stone)  away. 
And  bids  us  rise  to  gospel  day. 
Come,  0  thou  covenant  Angel,  come, 
Roll  back  the  stone,  our  hearts  untomb, 
The  beams  of  thy  bright  countenance  shed. 
Revive  the  drooping,  raise  the  dead. 

3d  Morning.    7's.  Nurembtrg, 

CHRIST,  the  Lord,  is  risen  to-day  ! 
Sons  of  men  and  angels  say : 
Raise  your  joys  and  triumphs  high  ; 
Sing,  ye  heavens,  and,  earth,  reply. 
Soar  we  now  where  Christ  has  led. 
Following  our  exalted  Head ; 
Made  like  Him,  like  Him  we  rise. 
Ours  the  cross,  the  grave,  the  skies. 


B9<5  HYMNS   FOR  THE  LORD's  DAY. 


4th  Morning.    C.  M.  Dedham.    La  Mira, 

OTHOU  that  art  the  mighty  One, 
Thy  sword  gird  on  Thy  thigh ; 
Even  with  Thy  glory  excellent. 
And  with  Thy  Majesty. 

For  meekness,  truth,  and  righteousness, 

This  day  ride  prosperously. 
And  Thy  right  hand  shall  Thee  instruct 

In  things  that  fearful  be. 

6th  Morning.    L.  M.  Brattle  Street.    Zephyr. 

THINE  earthly  Sabbaths,  Lord,  we  love ; 
But  there's  a  nobler  rest  above  ; 
To  that  our  laboring  souls  aspire. 
With  ardent  pangs  of  strong  desire. 

No  more  fatigue,  no  more  distress, 
Nor  sin,  nor  hell  shall  reach  the  place ; 
No  groans  to  mingle  with  the  songs 
Which  warble  from  immortal  tongues. 

6th  Morning.    7's.  Martyn, 

TO  Thy  temple  I  repair. 
Lord,  I  love  to  worship  there ; 
When,  within  the  veil,  I  meet 
Christ  before  the  mercy-seat. 

Thou,  through  Him,  art  reconciled ; 
I,  through  Him,  became  Thy  child; 
Abba,  Father  !  give  me  grace, 
In  Thy  courts  to  seek  Thy  face, 

7th  Morning.    C.  M.  Marlow.     Camhridg*, 

"HAT  shall  I  render  to  my  God 
For  all  His  kindness  shown  ? 
My  feet  shall  visit  Thine  abode, 
My  songs  address  Thy  throne. 

Among  the  saints  that  fill  Thine  house 

M*y  offerings  shall  be  paid  ; 
There  shall  my  zeal  perform  the  vows 

My  soul  in  anguish  made. 


w 


"^ 


HYMNS   FOR  THE  LORD'S  DAY.  307 

tre  Morning.     S.  M.  Silver  Street.     St.  Thomat 

[/"EliCOME,  sweet  day  of  rest, 
That  saw  the  Lord  arise  ; 
Welcome  to  this  reviving  breast, 
And  these  rejoicing  eyes. 

The  King  Himself  comes  near. 

And  feasts  His  saints  to-day ; 
Here  we  may  sit  and  see  Him  here, 

And  love,  and  praise,  and  pray. 

One  day  amidst  the  place 

Where  my  dear  God  hath  been. 
Is  sweeter  than  ten  thousand  days 

Of  pleasurable  sin. 

•th  Morning.     L.  M.  Federal  Street.     Homimrg. 

GREAT  God,  attend  while  Zion  sings 
The  joy  that  from  Thy  presence  springs ; 
To  spend  one  day  with  Thee  on  earth 
Exceeds  a  thousand  days  of  mirth. 

Might  I  enjoy  the  meanest  place 
Within  Thy  house,  0  God  of  grace. 
Not  tents  of  ease,  nor  thrones  of  power. 
Should  tempt  my  feet  to  leave  Thy  door. 


C" 


10th  Morning.    L.  M.  RoUand.    Duke  Street, 

lOME,  dearest  Lord,  descend  and  dwell 
By  faith  and  love  in  every  breast ; 
Then  shall  we  know,  and  taste,  and  feel 
The  joys  that  cannot  be  expressed. 

Come,  fill  our  hearts  with  inward  strength, 

Make  our  enlarged  souls  possess. 
And  learn  the  height,  and  breadth,  and  length, 

Of  Thine  immeasurable  grace. 

Now  to  the  God  whose  power  can  do 

More  than  our  thoughts  or  wishes  know. 

Be  everlasting  honors  done, 

By  all  the  Church,  through  Christ  His  Son. 


398  HYMNS   FOR  THE  LORD'S  DAT. 


A^ 


11th  Moening.     C.  M.  Naomi.     Wirtk 

S  pants  the  hart  for  cooling  streams^ 
When  heated  in  the  chase. 
So  longs  my  soul,  0  God,  for  Thee, 
And  Thy  refreshing  grace. 

For  Thee,  my  God — the  living  God, 

My  thirsty  soul  doth  pine  ; 
0,  when  shall  I  behold  thy  face, 

Thou  Majesty  divine  1 

\%Ta  Mjbning.    7's.  Nuremberg.     Herndon, 

CHRIST  the  Lord  is  risen  to-day, 
Sons  of  men  and  angels  say  : 
Raise  your  joys  and  triumphs  high; 
Sing,  ye  heavens,  and,  earth,  reply. 

Love's  redeeming  vrork  is  done, 
Fought  the  fight,  the  battle  won ; 
Lo,  our  sun's  eclipse  is  o'er ; 
Lo,  he  sets  in  blood  no  more. 

Vain  the  stone,  the  watch,  the  seal ; 
Christ  hath  burst  the  gates  of  hell ; 
Death  in  vain  forbids  His  rise ; 
Christ  hath  opened  paradise  ! 


Y 


ISxH  Moening.    C.  M.  Woodland.    EeUna. 

'ES,  it  is  good  to  worship  Thee, 
To  tread  Thy  courts,  0  Lord, 
To  raise  the  voice,  to  bend  the  knee. 
To  hear  Thy  holy  Word. 

How  sweet,  0  God,  to  sing  Thy  praise. 

Till  all  our  spirits  glow, 
And  we  could  almost  seem  to  raise 

The  notes  of  heaven  below. 

But  0,  if  songs  like  ours  be  sweet, 

How  sweet  that  song  must  be 
When  all  the  ransomed  ones  shall  meet* 

From  sin  and  sorrow  free. 


HYMNS   FOR  THE  LORD's  DAY.  399 

14th  Morning.    L.  M.  Rolland.     Uxhridge. 

HOW  pleasant,  liow  divinely  fair, 
0  Lord  of  hosts,  Thy  dwellings  are 
With  long  desire  my  spirit  faints 
To  meet  th'  assemblies  of  Thy  saints. 

My  flesh  would  rest  in  Thine  abode, 
My  panting  heart  cries  out  for  Grod ; 
My  God,  my  King,  why  should  I  be 
So  far  from  all  my  joys  and  Thee  ? 

16th  Morning.    L.  M.  Hebron.     Gratitudt. 

Y  God,  how  excellent  Thy  grace, 
Whence  all  our  hope  and  comfort  springs; 
The  sons  of  Adam  in  distress. 
Fly  to  the  shadow  of  Thy  wings. 

From  the  provisions  of  Thy  house 
We  shall  be  fed  with  sweet  repast ; 

There  mercy,  ILke  a  river  flows, 
And  brino;s  salvation  to  our  taste. 


M 


O 


16th  Morning.    L.  M.  Federal  Street.     Zephyr. 

SACRED  day  of  peace  and  joy. 
Thy  hours  are  ever  dear  to  me ; 
Ne'er  may  a  sinful  thought  destroy 
The  holy  calm  I  find  in  Thee. 

Dear  are  Thy  peaceful  hours  to  me, 
For  God  has  given  them  in  his  love, 

To  tell  how  calm,  how  blest  shall  be 
The  endless  rest  of  heaven  above. 

17th  Morning.     C.  M.  Dedham.     Caddo. 

GLORY  to  God  1   who  deigns  to  bless 
This  consecrated  day. 
Unfolds  His  wondrous  promises, 
And  makes  it  sweet  to  pray. 

Glory  to  God  !  who  deigns  to  hear 

The  humblest  sigh  we  raise. 
Ana  answers  every  heartfelt  prayer, 

And  hears  our  hymn  of  praise. 


400  HYMNS   FOR  THE  LORD's   DAY. 


w 


18th  Morning.     T's.  Herndon.     Plei,eVs  Hym% 

HTLE  this  day  Thy  praise  is  sung. 
Touch  mv  lips,  unloose  my  tongue. 
That  my  joyful  so   .  may  bless 
Thee,  the  Lord,  my  righteousness. 

While  Thy  ministers  proclaim 
Peace  and  pardon  in  Thy  name, 
Through  their  voice,  by  faith,  may  I, 
Hear  Thee  speaking  from  the  sky. 

From  Thy  house  when  I  return, 
May  my  heart  within  me  burn  ; 
And  at  evening  let  me  say  — 
I  have  walked  with  God  to-day. 


H 


19th  Morning.     C.  M.  Coronation.     Brown 

OW  did  my  heart  rejoice  to  hear 
My  friends  devoutly  say, 
"In  Zion  let  us  all  appear. 
And  keep  the  solemn  day  !  " 

I  love  her  gates,  I  love  the  road  ; 

The  Church,  adorned  with  grace. 
Stands  like  a  palace  built  for  God, 

To  show  His  milder  face. 

My  soul  shall  pray  for  Zion  still 

While  life  or  breath  remains ; 
There  my  best  friends,  my  kindred  dwp**'« 

There  God  my  Saviour  reigns. 

20th  Morning.    L.  M.  JDuke  Street.     B^Uand 

JESUS  shall  reign  where'er  the  sun 
Does  his  successive  journeys  run  j 
His  kingdom  stretch  from  shore  to  shor» 
Till  moons  shall  wax  and  wane  no  more 

For  Him  shall  endless  prayer  be  made. 
And  praises  throng  to  crown  His  head ; 
His  name,  like  sweet  perfume,  shall  rise 
With  every  morning  sacrifice. 


N' 


HYMN3   FOR   THE   LORd's    DAT.  401 

2l8T  McKNiNo.     C.  M.  Balerma.     Brown. 

OW  from  the  altar  of  our  hearts 
Let  flames  of  ..jcense  rise  ; 
Assist  us,  Lord,  to  offer  up 
Our  Sabbath  sacrifice 

Each  solemn  day  of  sacred  rest 

Doth  a  new  song  require  ; 
Teach  us  the  sonnets  of  the  blest, 

Our  hearts  like  theirs  inspire. 

Awake  our  love,  awake  our  joy, 

With  music  loud  and  long  ; 
Let  praise  the  Sabbath  hours  employ 

From  morn  to  even  song. 

32d  Morning.     C  M.  Dedham.     Lantthortf 

EAKLY,  my  God,  without  delay, 
I  haste  to  seek  Thy  face  ; 
My  thirsty  spirit  faints  away 
Without  Thy  cheering  grace. 

I've  seen  Thy  glory  and  Thy  power 

Through  all  Thy  temple  shine  ; 
My  God,  repeat  that  heavenly  hour, 

That  vision  so  divine. 

Not  all  the  blessings  of  a  feast 

Can  please  my  soul  so  well. 
As  when  Thy  richer  grace  I  taste, 

And  in  Thy  presence  dwell. 


T 


23d  Morning.     C  M.  Woodland      PeUrboro* 

I^IHIS  is  the  day  the  Lord  hath  ma'^ve, 
He  calls  the  hours  his  own ; 
Let  heaven  rejoice,  let  earth  be  glad. 
And  praise  surround  the  throne. 

To-day  He  rose  and  left  the  dead, 

And  Satan  d  empire  fell ; 
To-day  the  sa-nts  His  triumphs  spreadi 

And  all  bii>  ivonders  tell, 


i02  HYMNS   FOR  THE   LORD'S   DAT. 


24th  Morning.     C.  M.  Byefield.     Dedham, 

|N  this  glad  day  a  brighter  scene 
Of  glory  was  displayed, 
By  the  Eternal  Word,  than  when 
The  heavens  and  earth  were  made. 


0 


He  rises  who  His  Church  has  bought 

With  grief  and  pain  extreme  : 
'Twas  great  to  speak  the  world  from  nought ; 

But  greater  to  redeem. 


25th  Moening.    L.  M.         Uxbridge.     Federal  St.    Bolland. 
WEET  is  the  work,  my  God,  my  King, 
To  praise  Thy  name,  give  thanks,  and  sing ; 
To  show  Thy  love  by  morning  light. 
And  talk  of  all  Thy  truth  by  night. 


S^ 


Sweet  is  the  day  of  sacred  rest, 
No  mortal  cares  shall  seize  my  breast ; 
0  may  my  heart  in  tune  be  found, 
Like  David's  harp  of  solemn  sound ! 


S' 


26tb  Morning.    8,  7,  4.  Greenville.     Netiltton 

WEET  as  home  to  pilgrims  weary  — 
Light  to  newly-opened  eyes  — 
Flowing  springs  in  deserts  dreary  — 
Is  the  rest  the  Cross  supplies. 
All  who  taste  it 
Shall  to  rest  immortal  rise. 

But  to  sing  the  rest  of  glory. 

Mortal  tongues  far  short  must  fall ; 
Tongues  celestial  strive  to  reach  it, 
But  it  soars  beyond  them  all. 

Faith  believes  it,  hope  expects  it, 
But  it  overwhelms  thena  4l« 


HYMNS    FOR   THE    LORD'S   DAY.  403 

S7th  Morning.     7's.  Easter  Hymn 

JESUS  CHRIST  is  risen  to-day,  Hillelujah  ! 
Our  triumphant,  holy  day  ;   Hallelujah  ! 
Who  did  once  upon  the  cross,  Hallelujah  ! 
Suffer  to  retrieve  our  loss,  Hallelujah  ! 

Hymns  of  praise  then  let  us  sing.  Hallelujah  ! 
Unto  Christ,  our  heavenly  King,  Hallelujah  ! 
Who  endured  the  cross  and  grave,  Hallelujah 
Sinners  to  redeem  and  save.  Hallelujah ! 

By  the  pains  which  He  endured.  Hallelujah  f 
Our  salvation  was  procured  :  Hallelujah  ! 
Now  above  the  sky  He's  King,  Hallelujah  I 
Where  the  angels  ever  tung   Hallelujah  T 


INDEX. 


GENESIS.                  1 

JOSHUA. 

2  CHRONICUC8 

Chap.  1:  Verse 

Page 

Cliap.  It  Verse 

Page 

Chap.  Si  Verse 

P«g« 

i.  4      .     . 

6 

u.  21    .     .     .     . 

109 

XXV.  9       .     .     . 

336 

i.  5      .     . 

.     153 

v.  12    .     .     .     . 

1 

ir.  2    .     . 

.       20 

EZRA. 

vii.  16 

.     157 

JUDGES. 

vii.  22      .     .  ,  . 
viii.  22     .     .     . 

348 

xxi.  6  . 

.     167 

vii.  20      .     . 

264 

268 

xxiv,  63 

.     228 

xvi.  6       .     . 

190 

XXV.  11 

.       48 

NEHEMIAD 

xxxix.  12 

.     .     207 

RUTH. 

ix.  38        ... 

IIS 

xli.  4   . 

.     .     183 

i.  14     .     .     . 

350 

xlix.  24 

.       63 

ii.  2     .     .     . 

214 

JOB. 

EX 

fiii.  28 

3Dl 

38. 

.     .     179 

1  SAMUEL 

vii.  12       .     . 

365 

viii.  11 
X.  2      . 
xix.  25 

363 

49 

112 

xiv.  IS 

.     206 

xiii.  20     .     . 

62 

xxix.  2 

224 

xvi.  21 
XX.  25 

198 
.     .     196 

xxvii.  1    .     . 

291 

xl.  4    . 

158 

XXV.  6 

.     .     241 

2  SAMUEL 

PSALMS. 

xxviii.  38 

,     .        8 

v.  23   .     .     . 

40 

iv.  2    .     .     . 

98 

LEVITK 

.cs. 

V.  24    . 
vii.  25 

.       30 
15 

ix.  1     . 
xii.  1    . 

304 
169 

vi.  13 

.     .     197 

ix.  13 

.     148 

xvii.  7 

141 

xiii.  13     . 

.     .     273 

XV.  23 

.     152 

xxii.  1 

106 

xix.  16,  17 

.     .    334 

xxiii.  1 
xxiii.  5 

233 
.     356 

xxii.  7 
xxii.  14 

105 
102 

NUMBE 

K8. 

103 

x.xii.  14 

ii.  31    .     . 

.     .     200 

1  KINGS. 

xxvii.  14 

243 

xi.  11  .     . 

.     .     281 

xix.  8       .     . 

.     279 

xxLx.  2 

229 

xiv.  2  .     . 

.     .     121 

xxii.  48    .     . 

.       13 

XXX.  5 

134 

xiv.  11     . 

.     .     240 

XXX.  6 

70 

2  KINGS. 

xxxiii.  13 

272 

DEUTERO 

NOMT. 

vii.  3  .     .     . 

.       73 

xxxiii.  21 

184 

V.  24     .       . 

.     .     201 

XXV.  30    .     . 

.       45 

xxxvii.  4 

166 

xxxii.  9    . 

.     .     320 

xxxviii.  21    . 

146 

xxxiii.  27 

.     .     315 

1  CHRONICL 

ES. 

xxxix.  12 

76 

xxxiii.  27 

.     .     316 

iv.  23       .     . 

.     155 

xiv.  2       .     . 

173 

xxxiii.  29 

.     .     271 

T.  22   . 

.     160 

xiv.  7 

A/\K\ 

160 

406 


INDEX. 


rSALMS. 
Clmp.  &  Vtrse 

li.  1      . 
li.  10   . 
lii.  8    . 
Iv.  22  . 
Ixii.  5  . 
Ixv.  11 
Ixvi.  2 
Ixvi.  20 
Ixvii.  6 
Ixxiii.  22 
Ixxiii.  23 
Ixxiii.  24 
Ixxiv.  17 
Ixxxiv.  ,6 
Ixxxiv.  7 
Ixxxix.  19 
xci.  3 
xci.  9 
xcii.  4 
xcvii.  1 
xcvii.  10 
ciii.  2 
civ.  16 
civ.  16 
cvii.  7 
cxi.  9  . 
cxii.  7 
cxix.  15 
cxix.  49 
cxx.  5 
cxxvi.  3 
cxxxviii.  5 
cxxxviii.  8 
cxlix.  2    . 


Page 

242 

305 

230 

147 

59 

292 

274 

145 

118 

210 

211 

245 

336 

257 

349 

23 

24 

58 

227 

225 

159 

191 

226 

298 

143 

239 

259 

286 

119 

249 

161 

32 

144 

266 


PBOVERBS. 

i.  33    .    .     .     .  188 

xi.  25  .     .     .     .  234 

xvi.  33      .     .     .  354 

ECCLESIASTES. 

vii.  8   .     .     .     .  366 

ix.  10  .     .     .     .  331 

X.7      ....  140 


CANTICLES 


LS 


92 


CANTICLES 
Cliap.  &  Verse 

1.  4  . 
i.  7  . 
i.  13  . 
ii.  3  . 
ii.  8  . 
ii.  10  . 
ii.  15  . 
iii.  1  . 
iv.  7  . 
iv.  7  . 
iv.  12  . 
iv.  16  . 
V.  8  . 
V.  13  . 
V.  16  . 
vu.  13 


vii.  14 
xiv.  10      . 
xxi.  11 
XXX. 18     . 
xxxiii.  21 
xxxvii.  22 
xl.  9     . 
xli.  10 
xli.  14 
xliv.  3 
xlviii.  10 
xlix.  8 
xlix.  16 
Ii.  5      . 
liii.  5  . 
lui.  12 
liv.  5   . 
liv.  17 
lix.  5   . 
Ixiii.  1 
Ixui.  7 
Ixv.  19 


JEREMIAH 

ii.  2  . 
ui.  14  . 
xiv.  20 
xvii.  17 
xxiii.  6 


Page 
220 
247 
104 
238 

80 
116 
151 

19 
337 
338 
323 

61 
235 
122 

69 
275 


360 

178 

219 

344 

329 

203 

177 

357 

16 

311 

63 

3 

312 

244 

91 

90 

170 

310 

221 

14 

25 

236 


352 
204 
125 
120 
31 


JEREMIAH. 

Chap,  &  Vereo 

Pag. 

xxxi.  3      .     .     . 

60 

xxxi.  3     .     .     . 

355 

xxxi.  33    .     .     . 

9 

xxxii.  41  .     .     . 

265 

xxxiii.  3   .     .     . 

253 

li.  51    .     .     .     . 

231 

LAMENTATIONS 

. 

iii.  24  ...       . 

321 

iii.  41  ...      . 

285 

iii.  58  ...     . 

325 

EZEEIEL. 

XV.  2     .       .       .       . 

22 

xxxiv.  26      .     . 

65 

xxxvi.  37       .     . 

50 

DANIEL. 

v.  27    .     .     .     . 

164 

xi.  32  .     .     .     . 

217 

HOSEA. 

iii.  1      .       .      .       . 

35 

vii.  8    .     .     .     . 

175 

xii.  12  ...     . 

327 

xiv.  4  .     .     .     . 

296 

xiv.  8  .     .     .     . 

252 

JOEL. 

ii.  13    .     .     .     . 

36S 

AMOS. 

ix.  9     .     .     .     . 

172 

OBADIAH. 

i.  11      .      .     .     . 

206 

JONAH. 

U.  9        .       .       .       . 

67 

iv.  9     .     .     .     . 

196 

UICAH. 

ii.  10   .     .     .     . 

38 

ii.  13   .     .     .     . 

237 

v.  4     .     .     .    . 

232 

NAUUM. 

i.  2      .    .    .    . 

266 

INDEX. 


407 


BABXKAVK. 

Chmp.  k  Ven« 

ill.  6    .     .     .     . 


ZEPHANIAH. 


L5 


1.9       .     .     .     . 

ZECHABIAH, 

i.  8 
iii.  1 
vi.  13 

xiv.  7 
xiv.  8 


iii.  2 
iii.  6 


MATTHEW 


i.  21  . 
iii.  7  . 
V.  43  . 
vi.  9  . 
vi.  26  . 
vii.  7  . 
xi.  28  . 
xii.  15  . 
xxvi.  39 
xxvi.  56 
xxvii.  14 
xxvii.  51 
xx\iii.  20 


1.80  . 
i.  41  . 
U.  4  . 
iii.  13  . 
iv.  36  . 
ix.  19  . 
xi.  22  . 
uv.  72 


iv.  18 


r^ge 
347 


319 
300 


270 
332 
174 
278 
183 


289 
307 


39 

56 

72 

303 

26 

340 

351 

128 

82 

87 

93 

110 

132 


246 
248 
251 
254 
258 
261 
67 
212 


330 


LCKE. 

BOMAK8. 

Chop.  Si  Verse 

Page 

Clmi).  tt  Verae                   Pag* 

v.  4      .     .     .     . 

282 

viii.  17     .     .     .     135 

viii.  13      .     .     . 

11 

viii.  28      . 

218 

xi.  27.  28  .      . 

176 

viii.  30 

UP 

xiv.  10      .     . 

358 

viii.  37      . 

114 

xxii.  44     .     .     . 

83 

xi.  26  . 

21 

xxii.  48     .     . 

85 

xi.  36  . 

322 

xxiii.  26    .     . 

96 

xiv.  8  . 

162 

xxiii.  27    .     .     . 

100 

xxiii.  31    .     . 

99 

1  CORINTniA.N8. 

x.xiii.  33    .     . 

101 

i.  2       ....     194 

i.  28     .     . 

342 

JOHN. 

iii.  1     . 

293 

i.  16     .     .     . 

27 

iii.  23  . 

12 

iii.  7     .     .     . 

66 

X.  12    . 

74 

iv.  14  .     .     . 

280 

xi.  24  . 

117 

V.  13    .     .     . 

129 

XV.  20  . 

131 

vi.  67  .     .     . 

297 

XV.  45  . 

.    362 

vu.  37  .     .     . 

367 

XT.  48  . 

341 

X.  28    .     .     . 

168 

xiv.  21      .     . 

133 

2  CORINTUIANS. 

XV.  4    .     .     . 

318 

i.  5       ....      43 

XV.  19 .     .     . 

302 

iv.  18  . 

29 

xvi.  32      .     . 

81 

V.  14    . 

295 

xvi.  33      .     . 

124 

V.  21     . 

95 

xvii.  15     .     . 

.     123 

vi.  16  . 

126 

xvii.  17     .     . 

186 

vi,  17  . 

255 

xvii.  22     .     . 

182 

vii.  6    . 

51 

xvii.  23     .     . 

213 

vii.  10  . 

287 

xviii.  8      .     . 

.      86 

viii.  9  . 

359 

xix.  16      .     . 

94 

xii.  9    . 

64 

xxi.  12      .     . 

.    290 

xii.  9    . 

309 

ACTS. 

GALATIANS 

ii.  4      ... 

.     171 

ii.  10    .      .      . 

77 

iv.  13  .     .     . 

.       42 

ii.  20    . 

364 

V.  31    .     .     . 

.     113 

iii.  26  . 

78 

ix.  11  .     .     . 

308 

V.  1       . 

263 

xiii.  39      .     . 

136 

V.  17    . 

154 

xiv.  22      .     . 

68 

V.  25    . 

262 

x^iii.  10    .     . 

339 

EFHESIANS 

ROMANS. 

i.  3        ... 

130 

i.  7       ... 

.     187 

i.  6        . 

.     267 

iii.  26  .     .     . 

.     260 

i.  11     . 

.     215 

iv.  20  .     .     . 

.       79 

i.  14     . 

202 

vii.  13       .     . 

71 

ii.  19    . 

192 

viii.  12      .     . 

.      34 

iu.  19  . 

88 

408 


INDEX. 


EPnESIANS 

1  TIMOTIIY 

. 

2  PETEE. 

Chap.  &  Verse 

Page 

Chap.  &  Verse 

Page 

Chap.  &  Verse 

P«g» 

iv.  15  .     .     . 

294 

vi.  17  .     .     . 

137 

i.  4       ... 

209 

iv.  30  .     .     . 

32f! 

i.  4       ... 

260 

vi.  18   .     .     . 

37 

2  TIMOTHY 

i.  5,  6  .     .     . 

208 

ii.  1       ... 

75 

iii.  18  .     .     . 

4 

PHILIPPIANS. 

ii.    11      .       .       . 

301 

iii.  18  .     .     . 

4C 

i.  21     .     .    . 

7 

iv.  8     .     .     . 

10 

U.15    .    .     . 

250 

I  JOHN. 

iii.  8     .     .     . 

288 

PHILEMON 

i.  6       ... 

328 

iv.  11  .     .     . 

47 

verse  2     .     . 

306 

ii.  6      ... 

138 

iv.  12  .     .     . 

41 

iii.  1,  2     .     . 

44 

HEBREWS. 

iv.  13  .     .     . 

127 

COLOSSIANS 

5. 

iv.  14  .     .     . 

36 

i.  5       ... 

276 

i.  14      .      .      . 

277 

iv.  19  .     .     . 

163 

i.  28     .     .     . 

28 

ii.  14    . 

111 

ii.  6     ... 

313 

iv.  9     . 

18 

2  JOHN. 

ii.  6      ... 

314 

V.  7      . 

84 

verse  2     .    . 

299 

ii.  9,  10    .     . 

139 

V.  8      . 

89 

iii.  4     .     .     . 

223 

ix.  22  . 

33 

3  JOHN. 

iv.  2     .     .     . 

2 

xii.  2    . 
xii.  24  . 

180 
108 

verse  3     .     . 

833 

1  THESSALONl 

\NS. 

xiii.  6  . 

62 

JUDE. 

i.  4         ... 
iv.  14    .      .     . 

199 
181 

xiii.  5  . 
xiii.  13 

64 

97 

verse  1     .    . 
"24     .     . 

194 

288 

iv.  17  . 

345 

t<    <( 

284 

V.  6      ... 

65 

1  PETEB. 

V.  24    .     .     . 

346 

i.  2       .     .     .     . 

194 

BEVEI.  iTION. 

V.  25    .     .     . 

189 

i.  7       . 

817 

iii.  4    ...    . 

343 

i.  19     . 

107 

xiv.  1  .  '  ,     . 

17 

TITUS. 

ii.  3      . 

142 

xxi.  23      .     . 

216 

iii,  4      .       .      . 

156 

T.  7       . 

6 

xxi.  23      .     . 

222 

iU.  9     .    .    . 

324 

V.  10    . 

193 

xxii.  17    .     . 

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FRASER,  Dr.  D. 

Synoptical  Lectures  on  the  Books  of  Holy  Scripture.  New 
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from  its  pages  clear  ideas  of  the  arrangement,  subject-matJer,  and 
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GIBERNE,  Agnes. 

Aimee.     A  Tale  of  James  II.     i2mo 1.50 

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GREEN,  Prof.  Wm.  Henry,  D.D. 

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(4) 


GUTHRIE,  Thomas,  D.D. 

Life  and  Works  of  Thomas  Guthrie,   D.D.     New,  neat, 

and  chea])  cell  ion  in  u  vols.     lanio $10.00 

Life,  2  vols.  ;  Gospel  in  Ezekiel  ;  Inheritance  of  the  Saints; 
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all  on  fire  of  the  Gospel.  His  sermons  are  mote  terse  and  educating 
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HAMILTON,  Edward  J.,  D.D. 

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HAMLIN,  Cyrus,  D.D. 

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HAUSSER,  Ludwig. 

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(s) 


HODGE,  A.  A.,  D.D 

Outlines  of  Theology.  Revised  and  enlarged  edition.  Svo  J5-;.o* 
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Welsh  and  modern  Greek,  and  has  been  used  as  a  text-book  in  several 
theological  schools."  —  Presbyterian  Bantitr. 

HODGE,   Charles,   D.D. 

On  Romans.     8vo 3,0c* 

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(6) 


KITTO,  John. 

Hible  Illiistraiions.     8  vols.     I2ni0 $7.00 

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that  the  man  who  shall  study  those  volumes  thoroughly  will  not  fail  to 
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LEE,  William. 

The  Inspiration  of  the  Holy  Scriptures :  Its  Nature  and 

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LEWIS,  Prof.  Tayler. 

The  Si.v  Days  of  Creation.     i2mo 1.50 

LORD,  Willis,  D-D. 

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LOWRIE,  Samuel  T.,  D.D. 

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(7) 


McCOSH,  Dr. 

*\Vorks.     New  and  neat  edition.     5  vols.,  Svo,  uniform     .  gio.oo 
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Life  and  Works.     12  vols.     i2mo 9.00 

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—  Rev.  Dr.  W.  M.  Taylor. 

(8) 


NEWTON,  Richard,  D.D. 

The  JhWKL  Case.     6  vols.     i6ino ?7-5o 

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The  Safe  Compass 1.25 

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NEWTON,  Rev.  W.  W. 

Little  and  Wise,     idmo 1.25 

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(9) 


PEEP    OF    DAY    LIBRARY,  continued. 

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PRIME,  E.  D.  G.,  D.D. 

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SHAW,  Catharine. 

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(10) 


SPURGEON'S  WORKS. 

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(n) 


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(12) 


Date  Due 

0  14    -^ 

-,-—  .- 

- 

M«r 

($) 

THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD. 


I  SAY  to  thee,  do  thou  repeat 

To  the  first  man  thou  mayest  meet 

In  lane,  highway,  or  open  street — 

Tliat  he,  and  we,  and  all  men,  move 

Under  a  canopy  of  love, 

As  broad  as  the  blue  sky  alcove : 

That  doubt  and  trouble,  fear  and  pain 
And  anguish,  all  are  shadows  vain  ; 
That  death  itself  shall  not  remain  : 

That  weary  deserts  we  may  tread, 
A  dreary  labyrinth  may  thread. 
Through  dark  ways  underground  be  lei 

Yet,  if  we  will  one  guide  obey, 
The  dreariest  path,  the  darkest  way, 
Shall  issue  out  in  heavenly  day. 

And  we,  on  divers  shores  now  cast, 
Shall  meet,  our  perilous  voyage  past. 
All  in  our  Father's  house  at  last. 

And  ere  thou  leave  him,  say  thou  this, 
Yet  one  word  more  :  they  only  miss 
The  winning  of  that  final  bliss— 

Who  will  not  count  it  true  that  love, 
Blessing,  not  cursing,  rules  above, 
.•\nd  that  in  it  w-e  live  and  move. 


And  one  thing  further  make  him  know 
That  to  believe  these  things  are  so, 
This  firm  faith  never  to  forego — 

Despite  of  all  which  seems  at  strife 
With  blessing,  all  with  curses  rife — 
That  this  is  blessing,  this  is  life. 


L"" 


